Repercussions
by princesspeach0987
Summary: HBP compliant but not DH. Set in 7th year. Voldemort abducts Hermione so she can carry the future heir of Salazar Slytherin. However, Draco is sharing her cell, and Hermione comes up with a plan of her own. WARNING: Language, N/C, preg, lemons.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This is my first attempt at fanfiction, I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I am writing it. I'm going for novel length, so you will have to bear with me. The first few chapters are dark, but set up for the rest of the story. I have this written up to chapter 24, so updates will be really quick until I get to that point. Also, my writing style has changed a lot since starting this, and I hope to go back and fix the first 10 or so chapters after I'm finished if I have time. Chapter 5 contains rape (not super graphic but it is there). It's not necessary to read though, you just have to know that it happens so you can skip that chapter if you want. Anywhoo, on with the story :)

"_Love is like a role that we play."_

_- Dashboard Confessional_

**Repercussions**

Two Different Worlds

--

"_...I love you Hermione Granger, I always have."_

"_And I love you…" she whispered her reply. Their eyes fluttered shut as they leaned towards one another. Closing the gap and embracing whilst his hands sought out the gentle curve of her lower back. Their lips brushed, and the rest of the world fell away. This was it. This was the man she was meant to spend the rest of her life with. Warmth flowed through their bodies at the point of contact, filling her with the red-hot heat. From the tips of her toes to the lids of her eyes, it created a soft orange glow surrounding and consuming them. _

Hermione Granger turned over in her sleep, away from the stream of sunlight peering through the window. When she awoke some thirty minutes later, she felt oddly content, but the cause had already slipped away into her unconscious.

Stretching her arms over head, the last remnants of sleep left her body and she felt truly relaxed for the first time all summer. She had three glorious days to herself before heading off to the Burrow. Her parents were away for business purposes and she had told them she would be heading off to the Burrow that day, while telling Ron and Harry her parents weren't leaving until the 15th, so she didn't want to leave until then. Not that she didn't love seeing her parents, or miss Ron, Harry, Ginny, and the rest of the Weasley clan tremendously, she just felt the alone time would give her a chance to unwind. It was an incredibly stressful time for all the wizarding world, and living in a middle class suburban neighborhood seemed to take away some of the fear that was almost overwhelming the wizarding community. She wanted to savor this time while she could.

As she rolled herself out of bed, she realized she had encased her large ginger cat inside her comforter, and she laughed out loud as the poor beast hissed and growled while trying to free himself from his newfound cotton cocoon. Finally taking pity on him, she picked up the blanket, while relishing the sensation of her laughter, as it hadn't been an everyday feeling anymore.

"So what shall we do today Crookshanks?" she asked her cat once he had calmed down from the traumatizing experience of the morning. He just gave her a low meow that clearly said 'you do what you want, I'm going back to sleep,' as he slumped back down on her pillow and promptly did so.

"Err you're no fun," she glowered at him._ 'I'm supposed to be relaxing not having conversations with my cat'_ Hermione reminded herself. On that note, she threw on a bathing suite and grabbed her favorite book, _Hogwarts, A History_ and strode down to the pool.

As the sun beat down on her lightly tanned skin, and she reread the story of Rowena Ravenclaw's heritage for the seventy millionth time, she started to drift off to sleep.

What felt like minutes later she awoke with a start. She almost thought for a second she had fallen off her floatie, only to realize that the drastic change in temperature wasn't from the water, it was just the weather. The eerie fog had returned, evidently brought in by the now strong winds. She quickly paddled herself to the stairs to get out, careful not to get the pages of her beloved book wet.

Back inside, she defrosted herself a sad excuse for a wholesome meal and curled up on a squashy armchair, content to spend the day immersed in historical facts and figures. It didn't take long before she was right where she left off, fast asleep.

"Get up you filthy foul disappointment of mine," came the eerily high-pitched hiss of the Dark Lord, splitting the stale air like a whip. Draco Malfoy immediately obeyed, not daring to break a direct order. He felt every movement of muscle and joint as he made the difficult ascent, knowing that what he was about to confront involved pain in every form of the word. Physical and magical abuse… The Cruciatus curse was almost tame compared to the many new torture spells that were 'tested' on Draco on a regular basis.

Then there were always the visits from his father to look forward to. Lucius had taken it upon himself to restore the Malfoy name in the eyes of the Death Eaters. This meant that he dealt with his only son in much of the same manner as his master did; with hate and disgust, exemplified by inflicting pain. They differed in only one aspect. Whereas the Dark Lord only used his wand, so as not to 'dirty' himself, his father preferred manual force. The bruises he had inflicted penetrated so deep, Draco was convinced they would never heal.

This was how he had spent his summer after the fall of Dumbledore. All because he had shown an inkling of weakness; the tiniest hint of hesitation, on the verge of murder. The injustice of it all made his blood boil. He knew better than to have these feelings though, and quickly closed them off in his mind. Still, he stared fixedly at a pebble on the ground. The Dark Lord was a much better at Occlumency than he was, not to mention he had a wand.

Draco heard the creak of the metal cell bars as they parted to allow entrance into the damp room. His eyes remained glued to the floor, but he somehow managed a brave step forward. Ice cold swept through him when his bare feet met with the cement that hadn't been warmed by body heat, and he shivered involuntarily.

'_Weakness…' _If there was one rule in the Death Eater headquarters, it was _never_ show weakness. He swallowed and braced himself for the blow.

It didn't come. Draco couldn't help but to raise his eyes a fraction of an inch to discover what had hindered the imminent curse. He moved slowly, making sure his line of sight cut off below the neck. The Dark Lord stood in front of him, skeletal and wretched as ever in black billowing robes. He was lovingly fingering his wand between his hands, apparently in deep thought over something.

"Do I disgust you, Draco?"

"No, my Lord."

"Liar," he spat calmly. "No matter, your merciful Lord will allow you to prove yourself. Look at me Draco. Don't you want to know _how_ you are going to prove yourself?"

He didn't.

"Yes, my Lord."

"Look at me when I'm talking to you before I change my mind."

Draco finally raised his eyes and immediately felt the bile rise in his throat. The man responsible for death and destruction across an entire continent was standing in front of him with something like triumph in his blood red slit eyes.

"We're going to play a little game. I am going to use the Cruciatus curse, and you are going to scream for me. Then just when I think I've reached the point of no return, I'll continue on for a bit longer. Does that sound like _fun,_ Draco?"

"No, my Lord," he choked out.

"Well now, isn't that a pity. _Crucio!_"

Draco fell to the ground, writhing with the pain of hundreds of needles slicing him at once. It tore at his fresh wounds without ever breaking the skin. He felt his organs contorting and his blood boiling, burning through to his soul. It was too much and he cried out at the pain. Maniacal laughter rang in his ears, louder even than his own murderous screaming. He couldn't take it anymore. He wanted it to end.

He saw only a dull white light and felt the pain subside. For one fleeting moment he thought his plea had been obliged and that he had died. Then his senses returned to him, and the echoes of the cruel laugh of Lord Voldemort once again cut through his broken body.

"All in good time," he hissed, reading Draco's thoughts. "Firstly though, you will repay me for the mercy I have shown to you and your worthless father. Severus has spun a brilliant web of lies to get you back into the good graces of the Order. Even enough to possibly secure the position of Head Boy for you. This is most important for the plan to succeed. No doubt the filthy mudblood one woman Potter fan club will be Head Girl. Match made in heaven, don't you agree Draco?"

"No, my Lord."

"Well then, lucky for me it doesn't matter what you think. Now, don't you wish to know what use a pathetic excuse for a wizard like yourself could possibly have?"

Draco knew the Dark Lord was planning something big. He had gotten wind of that much from snippets of Death Eater conversations. Curious as to how he was involved with the plan, he cleared his throat and gave the being in front of him his full attention, feeling a little bit of the power he used to feel return to him.

"Yes, my Lord."

"First let me make it clear that if I find out you are not taking your duty seriously, I will not hesitate to kill you," the Dark Lord said formally, in a tone that suggested murder was a simple business practice. Draco only gulped, and let his master continue.

"The Death Eaters are just proving their worthlessness more and more every day. I need someone I can actually rely on…. Like a son…. To carry on the noble bloodline of Salazar Slytherin. To do so I would of course require the most brilliant witch of the age. This has been most difficult to decide. Who could possibly be worthy enough to carry the child of the greatest sorcerer to ever live? Then I thought to myself, it isn't as much about worthiness, as about who would give me the strongest heir, and make the biggest impact on the wizarding world at the same time…"

Draco's mouth involuntarily opened slightly as the words started to sink in. Someone was going to have to reproduce with _that_. He quickly thanked Merlin for his man parts, feeling a pang of grief for the poor witch. As bad as it sounded, it seemed as if he would be released from this prison in order fulfill his duties though, and that was enough of a reason to do anything the Dark Lord commanded of him, even if the repercussions in the future would probably be substantial.

"…Of course Granger would be the obvious choice. I might as well make some use of the mudblood besides target practice. Tonight she will be injected with a fertility potion, I will rape her, and she will grow my heir inside her filthy unworthy body. Once he is born no one will be able control him. The blood of Slytherin will certify that he turns out to be just as powerful as I. He may even kill the mudblood for me during birth, just as I killed my mother. He will be my greatest achievement…"

"I'm sorry my Lord, but where do I come in?" Draco had to ask, in a most uncharacteristic whisper. Malfoys spoke to others as if they were lower than them, not the other way around.

"You will need to keep an eye on her, make sure she is not doing anything that could harm my heir. I doubt she could actually kill her own child, stupid Gryffindor, they are so bloody trusting and righteous it makes me sick. Probably believes that a good upbringing and love will make anyone turn out to be the next golden hero boy. Their ignorance is their greatest weakness. More specific duties will be shown to you in due course, but as the one person who knows the truth, it will be up to you to lead her along. If anything happens to my heir, you will be named responsible. My tolerance of your failures has reached its limit. One more and you will die, and the last thing you will bare witness to is the brutal murder of your dear mother. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, my Lord," he said quietly, feeling as if there had to be more to his new 'mission,' that was let on. It seemed to good to be true. He was going to be freed and the mudblood was going to have the Dark Lord's baby.

"Then I believe we are through here. There is only one more order of business to settle…_ Crucio!_"

For the second time Draco fell to the dirty ground, writhing in agony as the curse tore through him.

"Pathetic. That was only a taste Draco," Lord Voldemort spoke, ending the curse as though bored with the proceedings. Draco remained curled on the ground, his beaten body no longer responsive. "You will deliver me my heir, or you will die."

With that he swept from the cell in a rustle of robes.


	2. Chapter 2

For the second time that day, Hermione was awoken by the cold air chilling her bones

For the second time that day, Hermione was awoken by the cold air chilling her bones. Her hair was sticking to her face with sweat, but as she tried to wipe it off she realized her arm was cuffed around the wrist. Really starting to panic, she frantically tried to pull herself free. It seemed as if she was fastened to a hard stone table. She was cuffed to it at her wrists, ankles, and around her stomach. Her stomach had a horrible burning sensation coming from it, she felt as if she was going to be sick. She muttered a few spells, but without her wand, they were pointless. Tears started running down her cheeks as she realized how stupid she had been. She hadn't even bothered to lock the doors! She had been put at an ill sense of ease in her quiet muggle neighborhood, only to be abruptly snapped back in to reality. Once again she tried helplessly to free herself, but the cold iron shackles didn't even budge.

"Its no use, save your energy mudblood." Said a cool drawling voice from a dark corner of the room.

"You!" Shrieked Hermione. "I should have known you'd be behind this. You're the only one I know sick enough to pull this off. Now GET ME THE FUCK OUT OF HERE MALFOY!!"

"Why would I do that when watching you squirm is the most entertainment I've had all summer?" the blonde boy replied, a note of bitterness to his voice.

Hermione was too angry and scared to catch his tone. She wasn't giving up her fight with the table and the skin was beginning to rub raw on her wrists and ankles. She tried desperately to peer through the darkness but it was unrelenting. She let out a wail of frustration and stilled for a moment, breathing heavily while the tears still flowed freely.

"I would stop the screeching little mudblood, unless you want all the death eaters to join the little peep show you're putting on. That bathing suite doesn't leave much to the imagination and most of them don't have as much self control as I do…" He trailed off, Happy with himself for igniting even more fear in the trapped girl.

"What? There are more of you here? You ASSHOLE! Oh Malfoy when I get out of here you are so dead! You'll be _lucky_ if Harry and Ron find you first you disgusting little ferret!"

"When you get out of here Harry and Ron will probably disown your whorey ass… Oh just GIVE UP on the cuffs, they obviously aren't going to budge!"

"What? How can you see me in here?" She stopped moving at once.

"I've been in the dark for so long my eyes have adjusted I guess. I'd give you the full tour of my summer home but I wouldn't want you running off telling the other half of your golden trio how extravagantly I live, don't want to make the poor weasel jealous now do we?"

Hermione clearly noted the sarcasm in his voice. Her face fell even further. If he was trapped here too, he couldn't break her out no matter how much she screamed at him. She decided to go about freeing herself with a little more composure.

"Why are you stuck in here too? Who trapped me here? WHY am I here?" She tried to sound calm and gentle so he would hopefully not scream at her and she could get some answers. However, the panic in her voice was clearly evident as her last question came out strangely high-pitched.

"Geesh Granger one question at a time! Why should I answer you anyways, I'll probably just be in more trouble for having a conversation with a filthy mudblood like you." He sneered at her, Finally deciding to get up and get a closer look at the helpless little witch in front of him.

"Please Malfoy, just try to be civil for once in your life! You think you could be in more trouble thank this? It's not like anyone can here us anyways." She said the last part more to reassure herself than him.

"I wouldn't be so sure of that if I were you"

She gasped, realizing he was right beside her now. She squinted in the dark, willing herself to see him. Finally she was able to make out the outline of his shoulders, then his face. She became conscious of how tall he was, and how thin. He slowly reached out and touched her cheek. It was so long since he had any type of human contact, and he closed his eyes just feeling the warm damp flesh under his fingers.

"Please Malfoy," she repeated softly. "Just tell me what is going on… if it's a plot to get Harry, he won't even know I'm gone for three more days." She mentally smacked herself, realizing she shouldn't have let that last bit slip.

"He doesn't need Harry, not right now anyways. He wanted you. He is going to use you to make an heir for himself and continue on the Slytherin blood line."

"WHAT!? She shrieked, more loudly than intended. "You can't be serious, that's just ridiculous, I mean no way, that's just stupid. He can't do that!"

"I'm afraid he can mudblood. And it doesn't seem like you are in any position to fight off his advances. You're going to be the mother of the next Dark Lord. Sucks to be you."

"You are such an asshole Malfoy! You think life will improve for you once there are two of them!?

Malfoy considered this. The mudblood was probably right, but there was no way for him to change the plan at hand anyways, and going along with it seemed as if it would get him out of this hellhole.

"Maybe not, but it will get me out of this god forsaken dungeon. I think he even intends on letting me go back to school. You as well I presume, I'm supposed to keep an eye on you after this."

"That doesn't make any sense. And besides, you can't watch me all the time. I can just kill it once I'm out of here. I'm sure I can, I've read about abortion potions and they seem fairly simple to make. Who's to say I'll get pregnant anyways? It's not like it's a guaranteed hit every time. Fertility potions take days to take effect, even if it is administered at the right time of the month."

"If I'm not mistaken, he is going to inject you with the fertility potion, so it shouldn't take more than a couple of hours."

She felt even sicker realizing at once what the burning sensation in her stomach was. She had already been injected. Her last hope started to dwindle when she grasped the fact that Malfoy really was telling the truth. She thought of one more thing that could help her in this horrible situation.

"Maybe it won't be evil…. Seriously Voldemort had a bad childhood, if I love the child, maybe it won't turn out to be bad."

Upon hearing her last plea for hope, Malfoy had to chuckle to himself. Stupid Gryffindor, the Dark Lord was right, they are way too trusting.

"You've got to be kidding me. It's Salazar Slytherin's blood! It's liquid evil, not one of them has done anything remotely decent, no matter how great their life was. Slytherin himself was rich and had a wife and kids, his life couldn't have been that bad, and he was just as evil if not worse than the Dark Lord himself… You Gryffindors can be so naïve sometimes."

"It doesn't matter, I'll just kill it once I'm out of here."

"You really think you could murder your own flesh and blood? Besides, fertility potions have built in protection for the fetus. The couple that takes one is supposed to want the baby so bad that once the couple fucks, there is no turning back. The baby is protected as long as it's inside the mother. The only way it would die is if the mother died. You dirty little know it all mudblood should know that. So basically you're screwed. You're going to get fat and pregnant no matter what. Shame really, you do have quite a nice body."

Hermione turned red at the comment, but was too angry and scared to say anything back. As the reality of her situation sunk in, she willed someone to find and help her... anyone. Still the only one in the room was Malfoy, and a lot of help he could be to her. Even after being locked up for two months he was still an arrogant ass.

"There's got to be something we can do!" She thought out loud. "Think Hermione, think!"

"I thought the mental act was Potty's thing, not 'Know it all, Question all Granger."

"Shut up ferret, I need to concentrate!"

"No use, you can't put off the inevitable. The first little spermy to swim through that gaping hole of yours and implant itself in your little mudblood egg is going to be your new baby. How do you think your parents will take the news?"

"If I were you I would shut up. You're all excited about going back to Hogwarts; do you really think I won't kill you when you get there? Trust me, you're better off here."

"You've been here what, an hour? You think you know what it's like living in this hole! Just waiting for the Dark Lord to come in and crucio you just for the hell of it? Starving and dirty, ridiculed by the ones you thought were your friends. You know NOTHING Granger!"

"I know as much that you are too cowardly to go against the man who put you in this situation. I know that you are going to help him with his plan, knowing you will just end up like this again, or worse, no matter what you do for him."

"Even if I wanted to stop the plan, there's nothing I can do. If there was a way to floo Weasel here so you could have his do gooder baby instead and you three could grow up to be sickeningly happy I would. Well as long as I wouldn't have to witness it I would. But there's nothing I can do. Just drop it Granger."

Hermione was completely shocked that he would admit to not wanting Voldemort's plan to succeed. Maybe there was some good left in him after all. He did have a point though she thought bitterly. The potion ensured that she would get pregnant and there was no one around to beat Voldemort's sperm to the egg. Unless…

"Umm... Malfoy?"


	3. Chapter 3

Hermione's whole body was shaking. She didn't know what she was thinking or what she could possible say. She wanted to crawl into a pit and die for even considering what she did. Obviously she had just had a moment of total insanity, what else could possibly make Hermione Granger, teacher's pet and best friend of the boy who lived, think such a dirty thought. The grim situation she was in was really bringing out an ugly side in the normally composed girl and she quickly tried to shake the thought from her head as more tears started to flow. Malfoy reached his hand out to her shoulder involuntarily to calm her. The small gesture completely shocked him, more so than even Hermione as she felt his cool palm against her overheated skin.

"Don't just stare at me Granger, spit out the fucking question!"

"Ugh" Hermione groaned and rolled her eyes, quickly snapped out of the ill found comfort she had momentarily received.

"Even strapped to a cement block you still think you are better and smarter than everyone else. Well I have news for you Granger, pretty soon the 'goodie two shoes I know everything' act will have to go. You don't want to lie to the world now do you? I bet after you get a taste of the cock tonight you'll be whoring yourself around all of Hogwarts. Maybe even Pothead and Weasel boy will get a chance to remove their dust covers."

"At least when they take theirs off girls don't run to the nearest toilet and puke up their last meal. I bet by now you have every STD in the book. I don't know what I was thinking. It's a miracle I am not getting infected right now with you being so close to me."

"So Granger… You don't know what you were thinking…. Well obviously you were thinking how badly you want in my pants. Sorry to disappoint you, but mudbloods aren't allowed anywhere near the family jewels. House rules, I'm sure you understand." He stated matter of factly. He knew that last comment would get her riled up, and she was just so cute when she was angry with him. If he played his cards right he really could get with her tonight. Any action was better than the dry spell he was forced in to, even if it was with a filthy mudblood. 'A filthy hot fucking mudblood' he reminded himself.

"You are SO incredibly full of yourself. I would NEVER sleep with you or ever even consider doing so. You are completely mental."

"Good, because it wouldn't work anyways."

"Why not?" She replied a little too quickly. A smug smirk appeared on his normally pouty lips as he considered how to respond to her question.

"Well you are so obviously a virgin."

She scowled at him in the dark, but couldn't retort because well… he was right.

"What does that have to do with anything?" She decided to ask.

"HA HA HA. Know it all Granger doesn't know shit about sex. Remind me to never let you live this down. Ever. Well anyways if you were a sexual god such as myself, you would know that after having sex, especially with a virgin, it is completely evident afterwards. There's all the juices, maybe some blood, and I'm sure a horrible stench as well, since you are a mudblood and all."

Hermione decided to ignore the last comment, took a deep breath, and finally let slip the one thing she knew she would regret. After all, she had no idea how much time she had before Voldemort entered and decided now was as good a time as ever.

"Maybe he wouldn't notice… Oh Malfoy please I can't believe I am saying this but I would rather have your fetus growing inside me than Voldemort's. At least a kid of yours would be good looking." She added as an after thought, hoping it would lighten the mood a little. Draco couldn't help but smirk when she said this. It was true, he was incredibly handsome, and maybe a mini him wouldn't be so bad. Then the reality of the situation sunk in and he laughed out loud. He could not defy the Dark Lord's plan and expect to live to tell the tale.

"God Granger, keep your bottoms on. I am not a piece of meat! Lucky for you I am however not stupid enough to knowingly defy the Dark Lord. It would be suicide for both of us. He would either find out now and kill us, or find out in nine months and kill us. Besides, I have too many places to go and girls to do. I am too young to have to worry about a kid. It's not like I could let you raise him alone, he would turn out even more pathetic and hopeless than you are. I couldn't do that to the Malfoy name."

She was amazed that he could actually have a decent thought and yet be a total ass at the same time. Oh well, at least she wouldn't be on her own if they did end up doing this she thought to herself.

"Don't be a such a prat Malfoy, you know your life would be shit once there are two evil wizards around to torture you and command you. Don't pretend you would prefer that to having a kid around that you would be in control of. You said it yourself; Slytherin blood is pure evil. You could never be on top again. There's always the chance that he doesn't find out, and the wizarding war is over before he gets to us. Think about it logically. The benefits clearly outweigh the risks."

"Leave it to you to present the 'logical' side of this. I guess the thought of you having to tell Potter and Poorboy Weaselface that you are having MY child is enough of a motive. Alright Granger, looks like all your wildest dreams are about to come true."

Once again, Hermione forced herself to ignore his rude comment. She took a deep breath and continued on as if she hadn't heard him and wasn't scared to death about what was going to happen shortly.

"Now wait Malfoy, first I think we should set some ground rules. I am sure you don't want this to get around school any more than I do. So I promise not to say anything if you don't. However, we will need to tell the headmistress what happened and get protection from the Order. You must also promise me that you won't use me asking you this as blackmail towards me in the future. This is purely business for the good of the wizarding world. Oh and no more calling me a mudblood. Anything you want to add?"

"Erm yes, I would like to remove the stick from your ass before I proceed. I don't want it to get in the way or possibly damaging my large equipment."

"Malfoy if you are going to continue to make this more difficult for me than it already is, I don't know if I will be able to go through with it."

"Oh but you have to go through with it, oh great Businesswoman Granger, remember? It's for the good of the wizarding world."

"Oh shut up, let's just get this over with then, before Voldemort decides to show his ugly face." Getting caught was the one thing she was truly worried about, though she decided not to voice this concern.

"On one condition Granger, you have to admit that a part of you wants to sleep with me, not just for the good of the whole crappy world."

"I would rather sleep with you than Lord Voldemort," She stated dryly and monotone.

Draco decided that was good enough for now, and that he probably shouldn't push it in a situation like this. They really did need to hurry it along, he had no idea how long it would be before the Dark Lord returned, and he would rather die right now than get caught fucking up his perfect plans, literally. The problem was, he didn't quite know how to start this. Granger was completely immobile, and it looked as if he would have to climb on top of her stone prison and try to find an angle that could physically work for them. It was also her first time he noted, and part of him felt guilty for taking it away from her in such a forced way. He had to remind himself that she asked him for this, and not the other way around. This thought made him feel slightly better. He hadn't had sex in so long he probably wouldn't last, which was a good thing really. On the other hand he did want to prove to her what a sexual genius he was, maybe make her want to do it again once it was over. He cursed himself for thinking about doing the mudblood again. Once was bad enough… wasn't it? This was moving way too fast for him, he needed more time to think. Time they did not have, and he was reminded of this by the already half naked being in front of him.

"Let's just get this over with, I can't stand to think about it any longer, just go as quick as you can ok?" Hermione whispered softly. She was trembling severely and it seemed to take her every effort to verbalize her feelings. The heart Malfoy didn't even know he had broke as he looked down at her. Silent tears were streaming freely down her cheeks, but she still managed to look up into his steely grey eyes. He nodded slightly at her, and she returned the gesture. He couldn't believe they were really going to go through with this.


	4. Chapter 4

"I promise…" Malfoy whispered into her ear, brushing his lips against her smooth skin as he did so. Hermione was caught off guard at the sensation of his soft lips and hot breath. She couldn't even think of what Malfoy was promising her at first. Then she remembered the rules she laid out and couldn't help but let a small smile emerge. For an arrogant prick, he did have his moments of charm.

"Erm, thanks Malfoy," she said uncomfortably… Some of her apprehensions were easing but she couldn't stop the tears, and gave up trying. She was always one to over analyze things, which was useful in school and made her at the top of her class in almost every subject. At this point she realized thinking too hard was not going to turn things in her favor, just make her want to vomit, and she tried to clear her mind of her current predicament. 'Now what?' she thought to herself, wishing she could do something besides lay there feeling awkward and scared.

Meanwhile, Malfoy was having an inner battle as well, and was glad Hermione seemed to be too caught up in her own little world to pay attention to how stupid he must look. He kept leaning down to kiss her, then quickly pulling away, afraid to make this 'business' too personal.

'I am going to have sex with her! It doesn't get much more personal than that!' he thought to himself. 'Fuck it.'

He swiftly lowered his face to meet her lips in a rough and passionate kiss. Her bottom lip was already swollen from her biting it in fear and frustration, but he pushed as hard into her as he could, as if he was trying to transfer all of his feelings of the past hour onto her. As a reflex, she initially tried to escape by shaking her head back and forth. When his hands snaked their way into her auburn curls and strongly held her still, she let her emotions take over and slowly opened to allow his tongue access.

She wanted to push her hands up under his shirt and touch the muscles she could make out even through his tattered clothing, and cursed her bindings worse than ever. Emotions started puddling under her skin and she felt even more tears build up inside her. She had never felt like this, not with Victor, or more recently, Ron. The heat and passion between them was almost overwhelming. He kissed her as if she was the only woman on a planet deprived of oxygen, if they broke the kiss, they would surely suffocate.

His hands moved from her hair, across her cheeks, and down her neck, resting on the sensitive spot along her collarbone, and dangerously close to the swell of her breasts. She gasped into his mouth, inviting an even more thorough exploration.

Finally, when their strained lungs burned from lack of air, they released the kiss, panting heavily and staring intensely into each other's eyes. Hermione could not believe what had just transpired between the two of them. She wondered if he had felt the passion she had, but his eyes were unreadable and she lowered hers in embarrassment. Draco noticed this and slowly moved his hands downwards, trying to reignite the fire he felt burning within her moments before. She trembled at his touch as he traced one finger across her stomach, over the metal confinement, and outlined her belly button.

'Who would have thought bookworm Granger was hiding such a perfect body under the loose fitting robes she was always sporting.'

His gaze lifted to her breasts, barely hidden behind the triangles of her bikini top. They weren't huge but they were definitely a handful, and the perfectly round shape more than made up for the size. The small peaks of her nipples were just visible underneath the fabric. He wanted to touch them but was afraid of overstepping her boundaries.

'Damn it Draco! Since when do you have somewhat of a conscience!?' he thought while gritting his teeth in annoyance.

When his movements on her stomach ceased, she looked up and followed his line of site, quickly comprehending where his new interest was. She was slightly self-conscious of her small size, and felt the need to cover herself, but her restraints didn't permit it. The look on his face didn't seem too disappointed, so instead of struggling, she nodded again, giving in to her primal needs and his.

As soon as Draco got the signal, he plunged his face between her small mounds, breathing in the sweet smell of sweat, and something else that was purely her own. He lightly kissed one over her bathing suite while bringing his hand up to cup the other. He was careful not to budge the fabric too much, as the Dark Lord was still in the back of his mind, and if a quick retreat was required, he wanted to be able to do so without much to cover up.

Her breathing was increasing, and Draco took it as a good sign, even though he was sure it was more out of nerves than from their proximity. He decided to slide his hands down and gauge her reaction to see if she was ready for what was to come. He knew they didn't have all the time in the world, but also didn't want to rush things too much and leave her bleeding, making it even more obvious to the Dark Lord what they had done.

He slowly ran his hands down along the outside of her silky smooth thighs, then turned around once he reached her knees, and proceeded up the inside. He brushed the spot between her legs with the back of his hand and heard her take in a sharp breath. He needed to be closer, and moved to join her on the cold stone confinement.

Hermione couldn't believe the feeling of his cool skin on hers, he was actually being gentle, the way she had imagined her first lover would be. Electricity seemed to shoot through her core when he brushed against her sensitive area. She heard him shuffling to get onto the table with her, and let out the breath she hadn't known she was holding in.

Once he got himself situated with his knees between her legs, using one arm to prop himself up above her, he returned his fingers to lightly graze her private parts. When she didn't object, he applied more pressure, with his thumb drawing circles over the spot he figured was her clit, judging from the little gasps she was making as he touched it.

"Malfoy…" She trailed off, not being able to say what she wanted, but hoping he would understand.

He got the memo and moved her bottoms to the side and stroked the soft folds of her most intimate place.

"Why Granger… shaved just for me? You shouldn't have."

"It's….. it's cleaner…. I…"

"I like it." He interrupted her. She blushed redder than Weasley hair at this, but didn't reply.

He was frustrated to find that she still wasn't getting wet, he wasn't used to having to work this hard to get a girl in the mood. Not that he could blame her, this wasn't exactly the typical situation that he usually bedded his Hogwarts whores in.

He took matters into his own hand and put two of his fingers to his mouth, making sure to leave plenty of spit on them then returned them to her body.

His wet fingers felt cold and slick, and it seemed as if she were made instantly more aware of his movements as his fingers now easily glided across her nub. It took all her self-control not to cry out, but she knew she couldn't bring any unwanted attention to them. If someone were to check in, it wasn't as if they had anywhere to hide.

Some of her own juices were now mixed with the saliva, and Draco took this as a sign to proceed. He carefully slipped one lubricated digit into her opening. He was taken back by how incredibly tight she was, before he realized she must be clamping down with her pelvic muscles. They were so strong and would probably feel amazing on his now rock hard cock. He began to move his finger in and out, tantalizingly slow to get her used to the sensation and try to loosen her up a bit. Her walls remained clamped tight around his finger, there wasn't even enough room for two, let alone his sizeable erection.

"Granger! You have to relax or you're literally going to choke my chicken."

She let out a small snort of laughter at this, and he did feel her ease up a bit.

"Just close your eyes. Err… don't think about it so much."

He watched her eyelids drop and she took a deep breath, leaving her bottom lip pouting and trembling slightly. She looked so beautiful like this. All the walls that she normally put up when he was around were gone, and it made it hard for him to be his usual sarcastic self. He needed to taste her again and quickly ducked down for another bruising kiss. Their tongues intertwined as he struggled to reach deeper into her mouth. He felt her muscles finally release and was able to slip another finger inside her.

She couldn't believe that this was happening, and in spite of herself, she was almost enjoying the feelings. His tongue expertly explored her mouth and she eagerly opened more to deepen the kiss. She felt herself stretch as second finger entered her, and as he stroked in and out she started to feel pressure building up from within. 'Malfoy definitely knows what he's doing,' she thought appreciatively.

Malfoy noted the positive reaction he was getting from her, and he quickened the pace of his shallow thrusting, while rubbing her clit with his thumb. His fingers now easily moved inside of her slick opening and he thought he did quite a decent job getting her prepared, especially under the circumstances.

His erection was becoming painful from lack of stimulation. He removed his hand from her heated entrance to undo the zipper of his pants and lower his boxers, now damp with precum. Once he freed himself from the ever-shrinking confines of his designer underwear, he placed his hand next to her face and kissed her lightly on the forehead.

Somewhat awkwardly because of the position, he moved his hips towards her center, gliding his cock along her folds, and mixing their juices together.

He reached his hand down to position himself at her opening, pushing against her to some extent to make sure he had the right spot. Usually this was the girl's job, and it put him off slightly that he was struggling with this. He was Draco Malfoy, God's gift to womankind! His sexual conquests could rival those of Zeus, and here he was, nervously trying to find her freaking vagina. 'Pull yourself together Draco!' he commanded to himself.

Once he had gotten himself situated, he looked up at her. She wasn't looking at him, her jaw was clenched and her bottom lip was trembling again. She was nervous, and he had a feeling he knew exactly what she was thinking about.

"It doesn't hurt so bad, if you relax. That's what I've heard at least. Of course at the time my hearing may have been impaired from all the screams of pleasure blasting my ear drums."

She finally looked up into his eyes and was met with such a hard penetrating gaze she gasped in shock, leaving her mouth open and waiting, but not breaking the eye contact.

He quickly took advantage of her parted lips and engaged her in another of his skilled kisses. He wanted to distract her while he pushed into her. He was in about an inch when he felt some resistance. Deepening the kiss he finally plunged into her in one smooth swipe. The sound of her cry was muffled from his mouth, and she bit his lip to control herself.

She had braced herself for the pain, but his kiss through her off guard. When she felt the sharp burning between her legs she involuntarily cried out, immediately cursing herself for doing so and biting down on Malfoy's lip to stem further sounds. She hadn't seen his penis but now knew how big he must be. He stretched her and filled her simultaneously, but the pain was already receding as he patiently waited for her to get more comfortable with the intrusion.

When he couldn't hold out any longer, he slowly pulled out, leaving just the head in before pushing back inside. For the first time ever he felt like this was right, even in the extremely fucked up situation that led them to it. He could feel her walls clamping and releasing, trying to accommodate him. He could already sense his orgasm building up, and he actually felt bad that she wouldn't get any pleasure from this. He was surprised to hear her moan softly. 'Damn, I really am good,' he smirked to himself.

The pain was definitely easing up, and some of the pleasure she felt from his assault on her with his fingers was returning. She still felt stretched, but now in a good way, and she started raising her hips slightly (well as much as her restraints would allow), to meet his thrusts.

When he felt her hips moving beneath him, he sped up the pace, feeling his orgasm quickly approaching. He didn't think he would last much longer, and his arms were shaking as he grinded deep within her. His balls tightened and his orgasm hit him like a bludger. He collapsed on top of her as he ejaculated in waves of pleasure, breathing heavily into her ear.

She watched his face contort in concentration. His blonde locks were sticking to his face with sweat, his eyes were closed, and his breathing was shallow. His eyebrows tightened as he released his seed into her and fell on top of her, panting into her ear. His hot breath making her shiver. She'd never seen any man look so handsome, or felt so peacefully fulfilled.

He wished he could stay inside her forever. At that moment, he was perfectly content, his mind free of chaos for the first time in over a year. When his heart rate returned to normal, he lifted himself off her, and slowly pulled out.

She immediately felt empty when he removed his now slightly flaccid penis from her depths. It still seemed as if this was a dream to her, but as much as she didn't want to believe it happened, something about it felt so right. Even though she knew she should have felt horrible about it, she didn't think she regretted it… yet.

Once he had composed himself, he thought it was best to get off the table. Wiped the juices that had spilled out of her with the corner of his robe, attempting to cover their tracks as well as possible.

"You know… this isn't even a sure thing, my sperm just have a head start, you could still have the Dark Lord's baby." He didn't know why he said this. He knew it would just return the fear she had from before, but he couldn't think of anything else to break the uncomfortable silence.

"I guess that's true." He was right, and the thought startled her because she hadn't thought of it. "It's much less of a chance though."

"Yeah…" He wished he could say something, but he was torn between wanting to comfort her and return back to his usual treatment of her kind.

Unfortunately, someone else had arrived to split the quiet, still air, for them.

"Well well well… Ms. Granger, so nice of you to join us."

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A/N- thank you to everyone who has reviewed sofar!!


	5. Chapter 5

Hermione froze when she heard the high-pitched hiss coming from the darkness

Hermione froze when she heard the low drawling voice coming from the darkness. He had arrived so suddenly and silently she was petrified he had been there before he made his presence known, and she was too scared to face Lord Voldemort to look. Instead, she chanced a quick glance at Malfoy, and was shocked to see only pure hate glaring through his now narrowed eyes.

"Ahh Draco, I see you have been admiring my latest addition. How… Disturbing."

"No…Father, I was just trying to figure out where the horrible stench was coming from. I see you've captured the Mudblood… mystery solved."

His cruel words stung, and she blinked hard to stop even more tears from spilling over. Why did she suddenly care that he called her a Mudblood? She had heard it from him since their second year at Hogwarts, and now all of a sudden she was more hurt by it than all the previous times put together.

'Wait! Backtrack for a second to before I decided to be a sensitive little girl. Oh my GOD! Did he just say 'father?' Why would his father allow him to be locked up and treated lower than dirt? Besides that… how was his father even here!?' She shook her head as a million questions flooded her mind at once. The last she heard, he was still locked away in Azkaban, she would have known if there was a breakout. But, as she looked into the corner at last, there was no mistaking the long blonde locks and cold grey eyes of Lucius Malfoy.

"Not to worry, Ms. Granger will not intrude upon your happy home for much longer. I'm actually here to deliver her to the Dark Lord's private quarters. I believe thanks are in order as well, as I am about to send the mudblood away to get what she deserves after beating you in every subject, punching you in the face, and of course, polluting the air with her dirty blood."

"Yes Father, thank you. You are too charitable." Draco tried to hide the hate and sarcasm in his voice, but should have known better than to think he could deceive the cunning man before him.

"Why Draco, do I sense a pang of trepidation? Do you not wish the Dark Lord to execute the plan and take over the wizarding world? Tsk tsk, that certainly won't do, but I think I know something that will modify your attitude…. CRUCIO!"

Hermione watched in horror as Malfoy fell to the floor, writhing in agony. 'How dare he just curse a defenseless being, his own SON nevertheless, for no reason!?'

"STOP IT! Stop it you sick fuck just stop!" She knew it was stupid to scream at him, but she couldn't just sit back and watch Malfoy get tortured, and her voice was the only weapon she possessed at the moment.

Surprisingly enough, he lifted his wand to end the curse, leaving Draco coughing and sputtering on the ground. Lucius seemed satisfied that he had caused enough pain, but his son was almost numb to it by now and had bigger concerns. He couldn't understand why Granger of all people would stand up for him, knowing it would most likely end up worse for her. First she asked him to fuck her and now this. He was definitely seeing a different side of Granger tonight…

"I wouldn't be feeling too much pity for that piece of filth who unfortunately shares half my genes. I guarantee you'll be worse off than him shortly and he will just laugh in your face, thinking about what a shame it is that he couldn't have done the honors."

Both Hermione and Draco inwardly smirked at this, pleased that it seemed as if they had succeeded in outsmarting the evil wizards around them.

"Now Draco, if you'll excuse us, Ms. Granger is due for an appointment. Maybe your cell will get a chance to air out in her absence." With that he shot one last contemptuous look at his son who was still panting heavily on the floor and tapped the stone table with his wand.

She felt a pull from behind her navel. Her eyes closed tight, dreading what was to come. When she opened them she almost thought nothing had happened. She was still strapped to the same cold stone table, in a dark cell.

"Malfoy?" She whispered into the darkness. Instead of the drawl she was hoping for, a cool hiss answered her call.

It wasn't Malfoy. She shut her eyes tight and thought longingly of being home... at Hogwarts.

What felt like hours later it was over. Her eyes remained sealed, as she felt what was certainly all of her blood oozing out of her. She could not believe she was still alive, or that she wasn't deflated from the loss.

"Most unfortunate I can't stay to cuddle, but you know how it is, taking over the world and all. I'll send you back to your dearest Draco to contaminate his space while arrangements are made to send you back. You're just lucky you weren't a very good fuck or I may have decided to keep you here. Don't worry though, our paths will cross again soon enough." Her bottoms reappeared on her body with a simple wave of his wand, he tapped the table and she felt the familiar tug behind her navel.

Draco was so relieved when she reappeared that he jumped up as fast as his state would allow, to stand beside her. He could see a bruise forming on her cheek, and nail indentations on her neck.

After she had left he had spent the most miserable time in his cell that he could remember. Knowing what was happening to her and that he was helpless to stop it drove him completely insane as he impatiently awaited her return. He had never cared like that about anyone other than himself and his mother, and couldn't believe he was doing so now, to her of all people! The mudblood know it all, his former worst enemy second only to scarhead. The thought made him worry that he was going crazy from being locked away for so long. Then he remembered the time he spent inside of her, and how she stood up to his father, something he couldn't even do. Now he almost couldn't bear to look at her in this broken condition.

"So much blood…." She muttered to herself, waiting for the end of her life to come. A warm hand pressed against her tear-stained cheek and held her face still. She was too afraid of looking back into the red soulless eyes of Lord Voldemort so she kept her eyelids closed tight.

"There's no blood… just open your eyes you're fine now."

"Stop… please…"

"I'm not going to hurt you Granger, just open your eyes!" He was losing his patience with her, but he didn't know how else to react. He had never been nurtured in his life and therefore had no idea how to comfort her. He just continued to rub her cheek, while resisting the urge to scream at her or slap her out of the defeated state she was in. He was never one for resisting urges…

"GRANGER! DAMMIT JUST LOOK AT ME!" He shook her shoulders as he yelled into her pretty face, not caring if he attracted attention to himself, only that she were ok. Well, as ok as one could be after being raped by the Dark Lord.

She finally snapped out of her daze, welcoming the cool drawl of Draco Malfoy for the first time in her life. Their eyes met and she was amazed to see such concern, for her! This couldn't possibly be the same Draco Malfoy she used to hate with a passion.

"How… how are you feeling?" He asked her in a low hushed voice, like one used at a funeral.

"I think I have a cut, is there much blood?"

He couldn't see any blood whatsoever, and was completely dumbfounded by her question. His face must have expressed his confusion, because she answered his unasked question.

"Down… down there… I can feel the blood, he… he stabbed me."

He looked but saw nothing. Her bathing suite was yellow and blood would be easily visible, but there was nothing.

"There's nothing there. He needs you, I don't think he would have stabbed you. I mean I wouldn't put it passed him but I really don't see anything."

She burst into tears at this, completely bewildering him all over again.

"He… He really did it then… he… he…." Her voice faded out as she was overcome with sorrow. It finally made sense to him, she actually hoped that he had stabbed her and left her to die rather than what he had done. He bent down and kissed her forehead, and held her face, letting her cry out some of the pain inside her. When her loud sobs were replaced by soft hiccoughing, he chanced to speak again.

"You're getting sent back soon I'm sure. They can't risk it getting out that you've gone missing, they'll want to return you as soon as possible." That thought made her feel a little better, but she was more comforted just by the fact that he was trying. She also felt slightly guilty for leaving him here with his father and who knows whom else.

"What's your father doing here, I thought he was still locked up in Azkaban?"

"He…" Draco nervously trailed off, he didn't quite know how to answer that. His silence told her that she might have gone too far. She immediately tried to change the subject, wanting to keep the peace between them.

"School starts soon, so you'll be getting out of here as well, right? I'm sure if you tell the Headmistress she can help you. You won't have to come back here ever again. You must be really strong to stay sane in a place like this, it gives me the chills just being here for this short amount of time."

"Yes well… you get used to it. I can't tell anyone though, and neither can you. I'll be killed for sure, as well as my mother. She is only safe as long as I comply. It is punishment for my failure."

"If I tell he can't possibly blame you, and it's not like you can stop me." She said with finality.

'There she goes again, back to her know it all self. Always thinking that she alone knows what is best for the world, even when she knows only a fraction of the situation.' He was about to make his feelings known to her when he heard two sets of footsteps approaching. He swiftly and silently returned to his spot on the floor, leaning against the wall with his head resting on his knees.

"Don't forget to heal her before you do it, you can't leave any evidence whatsoever. Do not stay to add your personal touch, you mustn't be seen."

"Yes my Lord, I won't be long."

'Draco couldn't believe his ears. The most evil wizard on the planet was ordering someone to be healed? Something was definitely off…'

Hermione didn't hear the two death eaters' conversation. She was back to her trance as soon as she heard them approaching. A strong hand gripped her shoulder and the metal bars were released. At the same second she was apparated away with the blonde man still beside her.

As they entered her living room he pushed her back against a chair, pointing his wand straight at her chest. She couldn't believe she had made it through all that, just to be killed at the hands of her first lover's father. She was therefore completely bewildered when instead of the killing or torture curse, he muttered a healing spell. She felt her skin burn and tingle as her bruised and raw skin was healed. She also felt it between her legs after he said a second spell.

"Congratulations, you get to be a virgin again… dark magic most girls would kill for. And you, filthy mudblood, get it at the low price of carrying a child for the Dark Lord for nine months. Lucky you. Not that you'll get to brag about it….."

This was it, she watched in terror and gripped the chair arms tightly as the cruel man before her raised his wand to shout out one last curse….

"OBLIVIATE!"

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A/N- Again thank you for reading and reviewing!!


	6. Chapter 6

Draco heard the crack from the apparition, and knew that she had gone, leaving him on the floor feeling extremely uneasy. He listened to the Dark Lord specifically tell his father not to do anything to the girl, but he still didn't trust that he would obey. He was therefore completely caught off guard by the whip-like sound of his father returning a very short time later. He didn't bother to look up, but a swift kick to his side let him know that the older man did intend to converse with him.

"So help me Draco, if you do anything else to disgrace the Malfoy name, I will kill you myself. I'm sure the Dark Lord has already made his wishes clear, but I shall refresh your memory, so there will be no excuse for failure. I don't care what you do but you must keep an eye on her. Don't let her on to you, if the Order finds out the truth they will be immediately put on guard, and that child will be so well protected our Lord will be lucky to get a glimpse of him, let alone abduct him. I will be sending you further instructions, and I have spies at Hogwarts. If you think you can get away with your usual irrational behavior, you are wrong."

The younger Malfoy was only half listening, but nodded in response when his father finished talking, not caring if he was being disrespectful. There was nothing more he could take away or do to him that he hadn't already done.

"I promised your mother she could spend some time with you before your return to school. If you behave I may keep that promise."

'What can I possibly do to misbehave in a fucking prison cell?' Draco sulkily thought to himself, but replied with a simple "Yes Father."

With that Lucius fled from the cell, leaving his son to dwell on his thoughts about the coming year at Hogwarts. Part of him wanted to revolt against the Dark Lord and his ass-kissing father, and go to the Order and tell them everything. Another more forceful part of him was afraid of what would happen to him and his mother if he did defy them, more so than he already had anyway. He decided he needed to be as compliant as possible towards the evildoers in order to cover up the fact that he'd already most likely screwed up the Dark Lord's plan. He then started to wonder what Granger was doing. 'Probably looking up every book she can find on pregnancy,' he thought to himself with a smirk.

However, at that very moment, Hermione was just waking up from what she thought was a very short nap. Crookshanks was frantically pawing her face to get her attention, as if she'd been gone for weeks.

"Geesh you fat cat, I'm up!" she sat up quickly, pushing the overweight animal onto the floor. He glared at her for a moment, then brushed his face against her legs in a peaceful gesture, as soon as she stood up. She felt achy, winded, and slightly lightheaded, but just assumed it was from sleeping in a chair, so she figured the feelings wouldn't last.

"Aww I'm sorry baby, did I forget to feed you? It is already 5:00, I guess we could have an early dinner." She was slightly startled when she looked at the clock on the microwave, she didn't think she had slept for that long. Looking outside through the sliding glass doors confirmed it though; it was already pitch black outside.

She poured some cat chow into the bowl on the floor for Crookshanks, and then rummaged through the pantry trying to find something easy to make for herself. She didn't really have an appetite at the moment, but thought she might feel less shaky and weak if she ate something. She finally settled on mac and cheese and some leftover pork chops she thought were only a couple days old. She started to boil water and threw the pork chops into the microwave. She knew it wasn't a very healthy meal and that her parents would definitely not approve, but she didn't have that many options.

As she waited for the water to boil she decided to turn on the tele to get it out of her system before going back to the electricity free zone that was Hogwarts. Flipping through the channels she found a whole lot of nothing to watch. From paid programming to infomercials, even what looked like cheesy soft-core porn! She hadn't watched television in awhile but was appalled that this was now what prime time TV consisted of. She sighed in defeat and turned the TV off, throwing down the remote and heading back to the stove.

Once her food was ready she sat down and ate in silence, the only sounds coming from the cat chewing, and her fork moving the noodles across her plate. She really wasn't in the mood to eat. She was actually feeling quite sour; she'd thought that after spending some time alone relaxing she would be refreshed, instead she felt bored and sluggish. She put her plate in the sink and decided maybe an early trip to the Burrow was in order. She had already packed since her parents would have been suspicious if she hadn't, so there wasn't much left to do.

The only thing left was to decide on flooing or apparating. It had been awhile since she'd passed her apparition test, and she hadn't had a chance to try it yet. She wondered how Crookshanks would take it. He probably wouldn't like it, but there was only one way to know for sure. She got out the kitty carrier from the front closet and coaxed the reluctant fur ball inside. She then carried him up to her room where her trunk was, and changed into a simple pair of jeans and a t-shirt. She noticed a small spot of blood on her bathing suite bottoms and groaned aloud. She wasn't supposed to get her period for two more weeks and she wanted to enjoy all her time with Harry and Ron without turning into an emotional wreck. She made a pit stop to the loo then tried to get in a position to hold on to all of her belongings at once.

"Ok… determination, destination… Err… deportation? Oh no, that's not right. Deliberation! Ok, destination, determination, deliberation!" She took a deep breath and spun around on the spot thinking only of the Burrow. She felt the air pressure on all sides of her body and closed her eyes, opening them when she felt her feet hit the soft dusty ground that was the Weasley garden. She put down her things and squealed and clapped like a little kid, proud of her first time making use of her apparition license.

She tried to pull her trunk and Crookshanks at the same time, but her trunk was so weighed down with books she deemed it impossible, and left it for the boys to get. She figured the family would be sitting down to dinner soon, and was happy that she finally felt her appetite returning to her, just in time for some real food. She reached the shabby front door and knocked loudly, expecting to hear voices inside, but the air was still and quiet. She hoped she wasn't intruding on something by coming a little early, but it never occurred to her that they wouldn't be home. She knocked again and finally heard soft footsteps coming towards the door.

"Who's there, identify yourself!" Mr. Weasley yelled out, she was surprised to hear how tired his voice sounded.

"It's Hermione, my parents left early so I thought it would be OK if I came and stayed early as well. Err… is that alright?"

"Yes of course, we just weren't expecting you yet, especially not in the middle of the night! Just say something so I know it's really you and I can let you get off to bed."

"Well… I started S.P.E.W in fourth year and I'm still working on it. Is that good?

"Of course." He said as he opened the door and threw his arms around her.

"Yeah, only you would take the time to say S-P-E-W instead of just calling it spew," Said another familiar red head from behind his father. She squealed and hugged him tight around the neck. She didn't realize how much she missed her best friends until seeing Ron again. Lights started to ignite in the kitchen as she heard more footsteps coming down the stairs. When she finally finished hugging and greeting everyone, she stepped back to take a breather and let her cat out. Taking in the appearance of everyone's disheveled hair and pajamas she realized something…

"Hang on, Mr. Weasley, did you say 'middle of the night'?''

"Well yes I believe it's nearly 5:30, you definitely know how to make an entrance," he said laughing to himself. Then he noticed the shocked look on Hermione's face and changed into parent mode at once.

"Are you OK Hermione? It's fine I was only kidding about making an entrance, you know you can come over at any time you're always welcome."

"Yes it's just that…. Oh never mind it's nothing I'm just so happy to see you all! Sorry I woke you up!" She said apologetically, not wanting to sound like an idiot by telling them she thought it was actually five at night.

"You should be sorry, some of us need our beauty sleep to look as good as you, you know," Harry tried to sound serious, but his small snorting noises from holding in the laughter gave him away. Hermione punched him in the arm and ordered him and Ron to get her trunk from the yard. She walked with the boys and Ginny outside after insisting to Mrs. Weasley that she didn't need anything to eat, and that they should all go back to sleep.

"You know Hermione, the school has a library, you didn't have to bring your own," Harry told her as he struggled with his half of the trunk.

"You're just lucky I haven't gotten my school books for this year yet, then you'd really get a workout. I actually didn't even get my list yet, did you? I hope they know we want to come back."

"I'm sure they do, I mean, why wouldn't we? There's been no sign of Voldemort or any Death Eater's since the attack. And I don't have a clue as to where to start the search for the Horcruxes. We might as well do our research at school. It's probably just taking longer since they just recently decided the school was even going to be open. Don't worry Hermione, you'll be Head Girl soon enough."

"No we don't know that for sure."

"Of course you will be, you're the smartest witch in our year, probably even the whole school."

The dawn was creeping in, but she hoped it was still dark enough to hide her blushing red cheeks. Deep down she knew she would be Head Girl, but she wouldn't believe it for sure until she got her letter. Instead of arguing she decided to change the subject a little.

"I wonder who Head Boy will be? I bet it's you or Ron. Either way we could try to all move in to the Head quarters together. That would be so much fun."

"Well I hope it's not me. I can take being quidditch captain again, but Head Boy would be too much responsibility, especially when we need to be looking for the Horcruxes too. I'm not as good of a multi-tasker as you are." Hermione understood where Harry was coming from, but she still hoped one of her best friends would get it so they could have the Head common room to themselves.

"I'm with ya mate, I just want to get through this year alive, let alone worrying about all that extra work. Besides, I think Ernie will get it, he was third in our year, and a pompous arse, but sometime the teachers go for that."

"Well we should know soon I hope," she replied as they reached the landing where Ginny's room was located. The sweating boys dropped the trunk by the bed and Hermione set Crookshanks' empty cage on top of it. They said their goodnights and the boys continued upstairs to Ron's room. Hermione changed into cotton shorts to sleep in while Ginny got into bed and fell asleep almost instantly. Hermione got between the sheets but expected to just lay awake, seeing as she thought she already slept almost an entire day. She was therefore pleasantly surprised to be woken up later that morning by the sweet smell of sausage and eggs wafting through the door.

She looked across the room and saw that Ginny was already gone. Even though she felt fine, Hermione clapped her palm to her forehead. She couldn't possibly be well and sleep this much; it just didn't make sense to her. Not sensing a fever, she rolled out of bed with a groan and dug in her trunk for something to wear. She found a comfortable but cute pair of Capri cut sweats, and a plain white t-shirt.

She just finished zipping up her fly when Ron and Harry burst through the doors.

"HERMIONE! They're here!!" He yelled, shoving a large envelope in her face. She swiped it out from under her nose, and her face split into a huge grin.

"Ok, let's open them together. One… two… three!" She screeched and tore at the thick paper. She quickly pulled out the contents, flipping through the two pages of her supply list, and then looking at a letter. She saw both Harry and Ron had the same letter.

_Dear student,_

_We are sorry for the delay in your letters, but are pleased to inform you that Hogwarts will remain open, even under the current conditions, and we hope to see you back this year. All the staff members have been well trained for an emergency, and the new security should be impenetrable. However, even with Aurors guarding around the clock, we cannot guarantee a safe environment without the cooperation from the staff and students. Therefore, we are asking that all students report any suspicious activity. We are setting up a box in each common room so you can do so anonymously if you wish, or report to any of the teachers, or myself. This needs to be taken seriously as to ensure the safety of the students, and allow us to keep Hogwarts open and running smoothly. We look forward to seeing you on September 1st, and enjoy the rest of your holiday._

_Headmistress,_

_Minerva McGonagall_

Hermione finished reading the letter, and flipped it over to the back, looking at the next paper in the pile. She was frustrated to find that it was another supply list, and after that another letter, and another supply list. Her heart sank as she realized there was only three pieces of paper in her hand. She peered back into the envelope nonchalantly but it was empty. 'There must be some mistake!' She thought frantically to herself.

"That's great, now we get to tattle on each other, to keep the school safe! How much you wanna bet the Slytherins completely abuse it. Oh and congratulations Hermione, not that it's a surprise." Harry said, patting her on the back in a friendly gesture.

"Yeah…" She trailed off, not knowing how to respond, she was so upset on the inside but wanted to stay strong on the outside, like she always was. The boys immediately sensed something was wrong when they saw the look on her face.

"Hermione?"

"There's no letter, it's no big deal, at least we'll still be in the same common room. So what was for breakfast? I'm starving! I'll meet you down there, I just have to find my slippers." She watched the boys nervously leave the room as she sat on the bed letting the news sink in. She didn't get her Head Girl letter, or Head Girl badge. Her dream from her very first year at school was broken.

"How could this happen?"


	7. Chapter 7

The rest of the summer passed without incident. Hermione was still put off by not getting her Head Girl badge, but tried not to let it affect her enjoying the rest of the break. This was made slightly difficult by the way her friends seemed to be walking on eggshells around her. They knew her too well to think that she wasn't upset by not getting the top position, so they were being overly nice to her, especially Ron. They also repeatedly voiced the opinion that McGonagall was off her rocker, which annoyed Hermione because the thought did cross her mind as well, and she didn't like that she was thinking harshly about her mentor.

It was now the last day of August, and the whole family was out in the garden to celebrate the trio's final year and some important news that Fleur wanted to share. Hermione was in the kitchen helping Mrs. Weasley bring out the rest of the food.

She looked out the window and watched Bill run his fingers through his beautiful wife's hair as she giggled at something he said, and kissed him on the cheek. She never really liked the part veela until the wedding earlier in the summer. Hermione had found the bride crying in the bathroom in her dressing room. She went to comfort her, not seeing anyone else around to do so and she felt bad just leaving her there. She had asked what was wrong and surprisingly, Fleur replied that she was nervous she wouldn't be good enough for Bill. Hermione had always thought of the girl as self absorbed, and couldn't believe she was actually thinking about her fiancé's feelings over her own. The bride continued to cry until Mrs. Weasley arrived and took over. Hermione had left and went to her seat next to Ron, and watched the rest of the ceremony in awe. Now she was reliving that feeling again while watching the couple. It was so obvious that they were madly in love with each other. She felt slightly jealous of the happy young lovers, wishing more than ever that Ron would make a move.

"Coming dear? I think that's the lot of it," came the motherly voice of Mrs. Weasley, snapping Hermione out of her daydream. She picked up the bowl of mashed potatoes while looking around for her wand, spotting it on the table. She was almost out the door when the wand started sparking. She released it at once while it shot into the air, emitting a loud bang and exploding. Something small and black floated to the ground in its wake. Hermione bent down to pick it up, while carefully balancing the potatoes. She looked it over and shrieked when comprehension sunk in, tossing it out of her hand and dropping the bowl of hot food in the process.

"Oh my GOD, I'm so sorry! It's just… well… what is THAT!?"

"It's ok dear, the ones who should be sorry are Fred and George! That is part their new product line for more umm… mature witches and wizards. They gave some to Fleur and Bill as a wedding present and I guess they left them around the house as well." Mrs. Weasley pointed her wand at the broken bowl and it quickly flew in to one piece.

Hermione cautiously picked up the black garment and examined it at arms length. It appeared to be a thong with a peeled banana on the front; looking just like a…well a man's part and making her blush scarlet. She read the tag on the back and saw it said "Mr. Right Now's Banana Hammock, courtesy of 'Kinky Kupples' by WWW."

"That's disgusting! I mean it's creative and all but I'd rather not have that lying around the dinner table!"

"I know dear, they're very special boys, I think they just go too far sometimes."

Hermione huffed as she threw the man thong in the trash. Picking up the newly repaired bowl of potatoes she finally made her way outside into the garden. They had three long picnic tables pushed together but still had to elongate them to make more room when Lupin and Tonks turned up. Harry immediately started pressing them for answers on Snape as soon as they sat down and Hermione curiously listened in.

"Dumbledore's portrait told us all we needed to know. It was the plan all along. If Snape couldn't convince Draco to go into hiding and it came down to it, he had to kill Dumbledore. He made the unbreakable vow with Narcissa Malfoy, and Dumbledore insisted that Snape was to kill him."

"I don't believe it! I saw the look in Snape's eyes as he said the curse. He wanted to kill him I know it!" Harry yelled, making the whole table go silent as they turned to stare at him.

"Calm down Harry, I know this is hard for you because of your closeness to the Headmaster, but it's true. The reason Severus looked like that was because you can't perform the killing curse without bringing out those feelings. Artificial or not it doesn't matter, but hate and anger are necessary to perform it. You can talk to the portrait yourself if it will help." Lupin said in a soothing voice. Harry was almost a son to him and he went through more hardships than anyone he knew. Remus knew what the boy had to face and he hoped he could regain his trust in Snape eventually, because the potions master could be of real use.

"Yeah fine," Harry grumbled into his plate.

""What about Malfoy?" Ron asked, cracking his knuckles.

"No one's actually seen him since his departure. Snape said he should be returning to school though. He's been convincing Voldemort that it would be useful to have a spy at Hogwarts that was a student who isn't a total troll, and he thinks he went for it. We just have to worry that Draco really will be a spy, but once he's away from Voldemort's authority we think he will turn to the light side. Snape almost had him last year, but he said that even with his father in Azkaban, he is still a big influence on him." Ron seemed to take Tonks' information seriously, and didn't reply but just sat with an uncharacteristic thoughtful look on his face.

They continued to eat the wonderful food until Fleur suddenly stood up and tapped her fork to her glass. Everyone looked at her with a bemused expression, but quieted down to listen out of respect to Bill.

"Okey evreebody, Beel and I have some exciteeng news for you." She then turned sideways and rubbed her stomach.

"We're pregneent! Look at me, I'm 'uge!" Everyone stared in amazement as she rubbed her nonexistent baby bump. Mrs. Weasley burst into tears and went to hug her daughter-in-law. Hermione, Tonks, and Ginny all clapped enthusiastically, and the boys just sat there in shock.

"Well done brother, I see you put our KK products to good use," Fred said, while raising his eyebrows suggestively. Bill laughed, but quickly recovered and hit his mischievous brother on the shoulder, after getting a sharp look from his wife. Everyone was instantly put in a good mood after hearing the news. Fleur was asked numerous questions, most of which she answered, but she ignored the ones from the twins.

"I can't believe you're already three months pregnant! You're tiny!" Ginny exclaimed.

"Oh me god you must be keeding! I am practeecally a whale! I am just lucky Beel dusn't fine anuzzer woman to fulfeel his needs."

"Love, you know I could never do that. You're so beautiful, you couldn't be a whale if I threw my best transfiguration spell your way." Fleur smiled at Bill's complement, and laid her head on his broad shoulder. Hermione once again felt jealousy rear its ugly head. She looked over at Ron who was shoveling food into his mouth, bored with the news already. She had feelings for him, but she was unsure if they were just glorified feelings of friendship, or how he felt towards her. Or maybe she was just longing for the closeness that Bill and Fleur had, and she thought of Ron because she didn't think she had that many options.

As the sun set on the cheerful party, the chatter started to die down as one bye one everyone got up from the table. People said their goodbyes and congratulations to the expecting couple, and Fred and George promised to start a line of maternity KK products. Hermione and Ginny helped put away the dishes while Ron and Harry dealt with the tables.

After the guests had departed, Hermione went back to the garden to find Crookshanks. Ron was busy shrinking the tables to fit into the shed, and she was sure Ginny and Harry were off on their own somewhere. She approached Ron and offered him some assistance, then asked him if he had seen Crookshanks at all.

"Well he's probably off buggering the gnomes, but I'll help you look for him." Hermione was grateful for the help, but felt slightly awkward being alone with Ron, and didn't know why.

"Thanks Ron, I just want to find him before it's dark out since we have to leave tomorrow. Can you believe it's our final year already?"

"No it's pretty crazy. I'm just glad we actually are going back, you know? I mean we could be searching around aimlessly for the horcruxes right now. I'm so relieved Harry changed his mind about diving right into it."

"Me too, there's so much research I want to do before we set out."

"Yes well someone's got to do it. Better you than me. I bet I'd lead us straight down a black hole or something. Harry wouldn't like that."

"Oh shush…. Anyways…. Crookshanks? Come inside I have a treat for you!" She yelled into the hedges.

"Do you have a treat for me for helping you on this painstaking quest?" He asked huskily. Hermione looked up from her search of the grounds to find Ron standing right in front of her, looking down at the top of her head.

"Umm… what kind of treat did you want?" She replied softly. He was much to close; she could hear his heart beating and smell the sweet mint on his breath. She looked up into his eyes and saw pure lust staring back at her. Before she could comprehend what was happening they were kissing. His soft lips pushed into hers as his tongue slowly poked out, trying to gain entrance. She opened for him to deepen the kiss and moved her palms to rest flat on his chest. He was so tender and gentle with her, two traits she normally wouldn't associate with him.

They broke the kiss at last and they both stared at the ground, breathing heavily. Hermione was still trying to grasp what had just occurred between the two best friends. She didn't know what to say to him now, so she was relieved when he spoke first.

"Well… umm… that was a pretty good treat, just don't give it to Crookshanks. He won't like it as much as I did." She giggled softly at his attempt at a joke and a complement. They walked in silence for a short while until Hermione spotted what appeared to be a large orange bush, waiting patiently for a gnome to emerge from a hole in the ground. She rushed over to her cat and grabbed him around the middle. Hermione and Ron then walked back towards the house to finish packing. They were almost to the door when the tall boy reached out a freckled hand to her shoulder, stopping her from entering.

"Hermione…. Do you think… err… do you think you would want to umm… be my girlfriend?" Hermione just stared at him in shock, almost dropping her cat they just spent half an hour trying to find.

"It's fine if you don't want to. Sorry. It was stupid of me to ask." She was just about to tell him how incredibly NOT stupid it was, when the back door flew open and Mrs. Weasley popped her head out.

"All packed and ready to go? We want to get an early start tomorrow, so it would be best to get to bed soon. G'night dears."

Hermione opened the door again to shoo Crookshanks inside, then turned to finish the conversation with Ron.

The only problem was, he was nowhere in sight.

...

...A/N- Again HUGE thanks for reading and reviewing!


	8. Chapter 8

Hermione only had about twenty minutes to search for Ron before she was interrupted by Ginny, who ran over to her with flushed cheeks and an enormous smile plastering her face.

"Hermione! We need to talk NOW!" Ginny practically jumped on the startled witch as she grabbed her hand and led her to their bedroom. Ginny ran into the room and flung herself on the bed, rolling to her back and letting out a contented sigh. Hermione sat on the edge of her own bed facing the very hyper red head with slight concern on her face.

"Gi-"

"WEDIDIT!" The words erupted from her mouth like they'd been sealed in an airtight container. Hermione just stared at her with wide eyes virtually bursting from her skull.

"You did… it?"

Ginny just nodded breathlessly, the grin reappearing on her face as she jumped up again and dove at Hermione, pulling her into a hug and pushing her flat onto the bed. The girls untangled themselves, staring at the ceiling and laughing. Hermione was happy for her friend because Ginny seemed so ecstatic by the occurrence. She momentarily forgot about Ron in light of the second big affair of the evening.

"Oh Ginny, I can't believe you had sex! I mean I figured you and Harry were off snogging somewhere, but I never imagined it going that far. Err… you guys seemed so innocent!"

"Oh trust me, Harry is anything but innocent! He claims to only have some prior experience kissing, but he's like… amazing! He totally took charge just like I like. I hate when guys are all 'uhh is that ok? You like that? Is that the spot?' Blah, blah, blah, if they are going to act like that, they should be required to get a tattoo saying 'BEWARE OF VIRGIN' across their foreheads. I mean at least if they did that we'd get a warning. But with Harry it was almost like he was the experienced one and I was the virgin."

Hermione couldn't really relate, but there were more pressing matters to attend to…

"Wait WHAT? You aren't a virgin!?"

"Err not exactly…"

"How are you not exactly a virgin!?"

"Well me and Dean tried a couple times. First it wouldn't go in, then he was too drunk to get it up, then he was getting it up for that Ravenclaw girl with the huge boobs. Needless to say, it didn't work out."

"Oh, Gin I can't believe you never told me! It's not like I would ever tell anyone, you know that." Hermione was shocked at the new information and slightly hurt that Ginny didn't confide in her before.

"I know I should have, and I wanted to! I was scared at first that you would be mad at me because I was so young. Then after I decided I wanted to tell you anyways, I found him cheating on me. I was so upset and embarrassed I just wanted to forget it and pretend it didn't happen. It's not that I don't trust you I swear!"

"It's OK, I understand why you didn't want to tell me. That doesn't matter anymore though. So back to you and Harry… please tell me you used protection!"

Hermione listened attentively to Ginny relive her glorious night in detail, after she was assured that the couple had used contraceptive charms on both of themselves to be extra safe. She wished she had more to say on the subject but she had never gotten past kissing, unless you counted the time Victor grabbed her breast and she swatted his hand away almost immediately. She had thought kissing was a big deal, but listening to Ginny made her realize that maybe she was just prudish. The girl kept talking about how wonderful it felt and it was starting to depress the inexperienced witch. She feigned a yawn to try to hint to her that she was tired. However, Ginny was way too caught up in her story to notice, but she eventually stopped the conversation anyways to go find Harry.

Hermione got up from the bed and put a few stray articles of clothing into her trunk, contemplating on whether or not she should go talk to Ron. When she couldn't procrastinate any longer she decided to just grit her teeth and do it. She still hadn't completely straightened out her feelings for him, so she had no idea what she could even say. She only knew that they did have to talk about what he asked her so things wouldn't be awkward between them.

She had just reached the door when it opened of its own accord and silhouetted in the frame was none other than the boy she was looking for.

"Sorry to bother you but Harry kicked me out of my room… MY room!"

"No it's fine I was actually just going to find you, I guess you just made my job much easier. We really should talk, err…want to come in and sit?" She led him in to sit on the edge of the bed with her. He just stared at his palms in his lap looking dejected, so she figured she should start.

"Umm, look… I know we have been friends for so long so I'm sure it was really hard for you to ask me out earlier. I didn't think it was stupid, and you ran away before I could tell you so well…. If you still want to… I would really like to be your girlfriend." Hermione's cheeks were on fire, she couldn't believe she had been so forward. She hadn't even figured out if she wanted to date Ron, and here she was telling him she did! She couldn't undo the words that slipped from her mouth, so she decided to just leave it and see how it progressed.

"That's great Hermione, of course I still want to. And we can still be friends you know… even if it doesn't… I mean if we want to we can still be friends."

"Yeah, we'll be quite busy this year I expect, but if Ginny and Harry can do it, why can't we? Err… by 'do it' I mean be a couple, not anything bad."

"Of course that's what you meant, what else could- Bloody hell! Not my baby sister! Oh Harry's going to get it!" Ron jumped up and stormed towards the door, but Hermione got in his way and tried to push him back towards the bed.

"Ron just calm down! I didn't mean anything by that you know Harry would never do anything to hurt Ginny."

For a second it almost looked as if he was going to drop it, until he charged past her with a "We will see about that." She didn't know what to do to rectify her mistake. With some quick thinking she spun around and apparated up to Ron's room with her eyes shut tight, and her hand over them anyways.

"Whatever you guys are doing I would suggest you stop right now, Ron is on his way up." She heard some quick scrambling, probably for their clothes, and apparated back to her room.

She lay on her bed, so angry with herself for what she had said. She heard some light screaming, nothing too intense, which she took as a good sign. Then someone stomping down the stairs, and finally Ginny was throwing the door open.

"Hermione! What did you say to Ron!?"

"Nothing, I mean I didn't mean to say anything! Oh Ginny I'm so sorry, he just took something I said the wrong way. Did he catch you guys?"

"Well Harry locked the door to give us more time after you popped up. But obviously he knew something was going on or the damn door wouldn't have been locked! Thanks a lot… I'm going to bed."

"I swear I didn't really tell him, I'm so sorry. I'm sure he'll be fine. I will talk to him. Umm… He's my boyfriend now."

"Good for you two," Ginny replied, with no real conviction in her voice. Hermione jumped into bed with a "humph" and tried to go to sleep. Since Ginny was already under the covers with her eyes closed, she decided there wasn't anything else she could say tonight, and just hoped things would be better in the morning.

Things actually went quite smoothly on the trip to King Cross Station, for the most part anyways. Hermione was still a little nauseous from something she had witnessed when she went downstairs to get a drink. She was still on the steps when she saw Mrs. Weasley pick up a fake wand, watch it explode, and giggle as she picked up what looked like a pair of fluffy pink handcuffs and slip them in her pocket. Hermione quietly retreated up the stairs, as she wasn't very thirsty anymore.

Ginny wasn't exactly warm towards her, but she was being civil. She was more worried about the way Ron was acting than anything else. He carried her things to the cars the ministry had provided, and even opened the door for her. This was all well and good except for the fact that he just nervously smiled at her instead of speaking.

On the train Harry, Hermione, and Ron got a compartment to themselves, and were later joined by Neville and a few other members of the D.A. Ginny went off to sit with some of her friends from her own year, after giving Harry a quick peck on the cheek. Ron watched moodily but kept his mouth shut, which was probably not intentional; he might have just gotten his teeth stuck together from grinding them so hard. Neville was in a cheerful and talkative mood, but the rest of the compartments occupants were quickly killing it. Instead of dealing with the awkward silence, Hermione got out her new Expert Ancient Runes book and started reading.

Nothing really exciting happened except for two familiar guests arriving when they were about half way there.

"Professor Lupin, Tonks! What are you doing here?" Asked a stunned Harry.

"We are patrolling until we get to the platform, then we will be alternating between guarding Hogwarts and Hogsmead. You'll get to see a lot of us this year." With that Tonks winked at the crew and left with Lupin on her tail.

"That's odd, don't the Heads and Prefects usually patrol?" Hermione took a brave stab at breaking the silence, but Harry just shrugged, and she rolled her eyes and went back to her book. She actually enjoyed patrolling the past two years, but as a seventh year, she wasn't really a prefect anymore. Even though ex-prefects were still expected to behave accordingly and were on call for patrolling corridors when they were needed, Hermione kind of missed the authority that came with the little "P" badge.

The mood was finally lifted with the arrival of Luna and Ginny. Luna immediately pulled out what looked like half a pair of binoculars and scanned their compartment. Everyone stared at her with open mouths that were twitching in the corners, until she explained herself that is.

"They're golopticles, they detect if there are any golgles in the vicinity. Golgles are related to nargles only much worse. They're the spirits of aliens that can get into your brain and make you want to live on the moon. I can't see any, but that could be because they've already found hosts." With that she looked them over suspiciously, as if expecting one of them to fess up about hosting an alien spirit.

"Erm… Thanks for checking Luna," Harry choked out. With that everyone in the compartment burst out laughing, and they spent the rest of the journey in a much lighter mood.

No one bothered to pay any attention to the events occurring on the rest of the train. They therefore didn't see a pale blonde boy repeatedly pass by the sliding door, stealing quick glances through the window. Draco couldn't believe that Hermione had returned to school, and she seemed perfectly nonchalant about the entire situation. Last time he passed by she was even laughing! The nerve of her, enjoying herself after what she had been through, when thinking about their encounter was driving him crazy. In fact, he had thought of nothing else since she had left him. He thought about their intimate time together, about how he couldn't stand the thought of her with another man, about the fact that because of it he was most likely going to be a father. It was eating him up inside and yet Hermione just seemed to be going about her life as if nothing had happened. It was enough to make him do something completely irrational…

...

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To everyone else who reviewed so far thanks SOOOOO much : )


	9. Chapter 9

His hand was inches from the door that concealed his prey, when the train lurched him forward as it started to decelerate

His hand was inches from the door that concealed his prey, when the train lurched him forward as it started to decelerate. He cursed under his breath and stalked back to the compartment he shared with Pansy, Blaise, Crabbe, Goyle, and Bulstrode. So basically he was returning to a compartment full of sausages. He groaned in disgust as he was greeted by the sickening displays of affection between Goyle and Millicent. They had hooked up over the summer and now seemed to be inseparable. He still couldn't figure out who would wear the dress at their wedding, but vowed to make it his personal ambition to make sure they were never allowed to reproduce. 'Ugliest Offspring Ever.'

When the train came to a complete stop everyone pushed their way on to the platform, while Draco scanned the crowd for a head of thick brown curls. He heard the booming call of the giant savage man to the 'firs' years, and sure enough the trio was in pursuit. Hugging and jumping on each other like out of control five year olds. He saw Potter's knees buckle under the pressure of the giant's earth shaking pat on the back, and had to smirk. Potter wasn't so tough; he just got lucky sometimes. 'I could take him' Draco thought to himself.

Then he saw her. Her long hair was glistening in the light of a fire lit lantern held above her by the gamekeeper, and her whole face was just glowing. She seemed so at peace, in the midst of a wizarding war and possibly carrying the spawn of Slytherin. He was so taken by her incredible persona that he didn't realize how long he had been staring. Their eyes met and she looked at him with shocked wide eyes that quickly narrowed into a glare. He mouthed, "We need to talk" to her, but she had already turned away, heading to the carriages that would take them to the gates. He tried to follow her, but she was getting lead away quickly by Ron, who had a protective arm around her waist. He felt his blood start to boil as he watched them, and he moodily pushed his way to the carriage behind hers.

He did a double take at the procession; seeing the skeletal winged horses for the first time. If it wasn't so far to the school, he thought he would have preferred to walk. The thestrals seemed to look through him with their blank eyes, as if they knew his involvement with the headmaster's death. Someone bumped into him from behind, knocking him out of his trance. He took once last look at the dragonish face of the nearest thestral, before cautiously stepping into the carriage.

"Draco, wait up!" Came the screechy voice of Pansy Parkinson. Draco gritted his teeth in annoyance, as he thought he had lost the irritating slut. She got in after him and put her arm on his thigh, but he brushed it off as if it was contaminating him.

"What is with you baby, you didn't return my letters like all summer and now you're so moody and fidgety. That's not the kind of behavior I like in my boyfriends."

"Since when am I your fucking boyfriend?"

"I dunno, maybe since we slept together like 20 times last year!"

"You wanted it. I told you last year I was stressed and I didn't need or want a girlfriend, just a good fuck. All the other girls I messed around with obviously understood that, as they aren't nagging at me right now." He felt better taking out some of his frustrations on her, and he was speaking the truth after all. It wasn't his fault if she was too dumb to understand.

Pansy looked hurt, and slid away from him with her arms crossed and her lips pouted. It wasn't that she was ugly; he just wasn't attracted to her. She was fine when she was quiet, but as soon as she opened her mouth he got the urge to put his fist through a wall. Her shrill voice and ditzy air were like nails on a chalkboard to him, and they spent the rest of the journey in silence.

Hermione, Harry, and Ron had rushed over as fast as they could to greet their half-giant friend. Hermione had been unsure if returning to school was the right thing to do until now. She was afraid that everything would be completely different, and they would always be in a state of fear with the absence of Professor Dumbledore's protection. The late Headmaster had made them feel as if the school was a kind of impenetrable escape. They had believed that he was invincible since he was commonly known as "the only one You-Know-Who had ever feared." The past six years had proved that the castle wasn't safe even with Dumbledore, and even he could be killed. Hermione couldn't believe she wasn't more afraid of what was to come, but she honestly was more excited than anything to return to her second home.

She was just turning to let Hagrid tend to the first years, when her eyes locked with Draco Malfoy. She couldn't help but be disappointed that he had been allowed to return, even after what Tonk's had said about him just being under the influence of his father. So it was going to be another year of being called a mudblood. 'Hopefully that will be the worst of my problems' she thought to herself. His face didn't hold the usual scowl, but she glared at him anyways out of reflex, before turning to get into the carriages.

She smiled as Ron slipped his arm around her waist. She was starting to get used to their budding relationship, and at least wanted to give them the best chance they could have. This was going to take a lot of self control on Hermione's part, because her natural instincts were to be bossy at times, and she really didn't like the whole 'touchy feely' thing. However, she thought that Ron did at least deserve an attempt at a decent and normal romantic affair, so she even snuggled up to him on the ride.

The Great Hall looked amazing as always. From the twinkling stars to the gleaming gold plates, the whole place held the same radiance as it had the first time they stepped foot through the large double doors. This would be their last welcoming feast. Their last sorting, but the first time they would hear the speech from someone other than Dumbledore. Unless of course you counted Umbridge's attempt that most of the student body had slept through. They sat down, waiting expectantly for the sorting to begin.

Hermione looked up at the high table, recognizing professors Flitwick, Sinistra, and Sprout. Tonks and Lupin were also there talking animatedly with Flitwick, but there were also a man and a woman that she wasn't familiar with. The man was younger, and very handsome, and the woman next to him could have easily been a model. The doors opened at last, and Hagrid walked in, shortly followed by McGonagall and the line of nervous looking first years. It didn't seem like there was very many of them, but it could be because they were all packed tightly, as none of them wanted to be first or last in line. The hall quieted as everyone was listening intently for the new song of the sorting hat. The rim and top parted like a mouth, but the hat did not seem as if it was in the mood to sing.

"Every year the same, I'm here to entertain.

To sing a song and separate the students name by name.

I make heroes from the Gryffindors, who strive to save the day,

Followers from Hufflepuffs, who like both work and play.

Ravenclaws know themselves as smarter than the rest,

But Slytherin is the house that I most detest.

I can't deny the abundance, of corruption and immorals,

So let us join together, to help control the quarrels.

Realizations are in order, that not one house is perfect,

Only together as a whole, can we do anything to cure it.

Please fight the prejudice, or we'll remain in turmoil forevermore,

A moment of silence now, for our hero, Dumbledore."

Everyone stared in awe at the hat as it finished, then slowly one by one their heads bowed and eyes shut as they honored the former headmaster. Some sniffles were heard, then after a few minutes McGonagall cleared her throat, and announced with a voice that cracked slightly, Abtovitch, Alaina to be sorted. When she called out the last name, (Zylar, Rachel) Gryffindor had 8 new members, Hufflepuff had 11, Ravenclaw had 10, and Slytherin had 5. The feast appeared to loud cheers, as the new and old students dug in enthusiastically. Hermione hadn't realized how hungry she really was until she took a bite of the delicious food. She finished everything on her plate and was about to go for seconds when she got an uncomfortable feeling, like she was being watched. She turned around in her seat and soon found the culprit. Draco Malfoy was once again staring openly at her, not even touching his meal. What shocked her the most was that his face wasn't pointed in a scowl, but his eyes held an intense and thoughtful look. He mouthed "We need to talk," at her, and she sat confused for a moment, before rolling her eyes and getting back to her meal. Whatever it was that Malfoy wanted to talk to her about, she was sure she wasn't interested.

After the desserts had cleared, leaving the plates shimmering clean once again, Professor McGonagall stood up to address the students.

"I am overjoyed to see so many of you have returned safely. I know Professor Dumbledore would never have wanted the school to close, as he prized learning above anything else. I am not just talking about learning in the classroom, but also the life lessons of love and friendship you can take from here as well. This year it is especially important to me to see you all getting along. I know the dislike between a great number of you stems from your very first year here, even the very first day, but I am asking you to forgive and forget. Put your pride and preconceptions behind you and let us start this year fresh. I know some of you are probably very surprised and maybe even alarmed at certain students who have returned this year. Please know that I would never put any of you in danger, and that these students have proven themselves trustworthy and have just as much of a right to be here as anyone. I'm sure you all got your letters a couple weeks ago and know that you can report any suspicious activity or anything that makes you feel unsafe here at Hogwarts. The boxes will be in every common room, and once the note has entered it, it cannot be recovered so please do not put one in as a joke. You can also report to me, or any of the staff at any time. Speaking of staff, we have two new members who have joined our ranks. I am pleased to present Ms. Anastasia Figg, and Mr. Alberson Figg, to take of post of Potions and Defense Against the Dark Arts, respectively." Everyone cheered enthusiastically at the very appealing new teachers, especially Harry. Hermione looked at him questioningly, and he leaned over so she could hear him over the clapping.

"Mrs. Figg! Batty old Mrs. Figg, you know, from the hearing? Those must be her kids!" Hermione smiled, and cheered even louder. Once all the noise had quieted down, Professor McGonagall resumed her speech.

"On another note, I would like to take this time to announce the new Head Boy and Head Girl. I chose to hold off on the selection to make sure both parties returned to school, but I think they will do an outstanding job, should they choose to accept. Ms. Hermione Granger and Mr. Draco Malfoy, will you please come forward to receive your badges."

Hermione couldn't believe her ears. She had just accepted the fact that she wasn't Head Girl, only to be told she was! Her legs were shaking as she rose from her seat amidst loud cheers and catcalls from the table. Malfoy was already walking confidently towards the high table, with a pompous grin on his face, and she hurried to catch up. She saw Hagrid brush a happy tear from his eye, and had to fight not to burst out in tears herself. McGonagall pinned the badges to each of their robes, and told them to wait while she dismissed the rest of the students.

"Congratulations to our New Head Boy and Girl. Now I'm sure you are all worn out from this exciting day, so prefects if you will please lead the first years to their new dorms. Everyone else, follow them if you can't remember the way. Oh yes and don't forget to check the long list of objects banned in the castle; you can find it on Mr. Filch's door. The dark forest is off limits to all students, and there is to be no wand use of any kind in the corridors. You are dismissed." They watched the Great Hall slowly empty, until Professor McGonagall motioned for them to follow her.

"Now I know the two of you are not the obvious pairing for Head Boy and Girl, but I had my reasons, and I trust you will live up to them. You both held top marks in your classes and on your exams, so I am hoping you could be mature enough to put your differences aside. I want the two of you to set an example to the rest of the students on inter-house relationships. I don't want to ever see either of you publicly fighting, or I will immediately relinquish your titles and pass them on to the next two most worthy candidates. There will be no questions asked if such an instance does occur, and I do not care who had started the fight. Is that understood?" They both nodded in agreement, thinking she was asking a rather lot of them.

"Now this year you will have a few extra responsibilities, even more so than previous Heads. Not only will you have to arrange prefect meetings and set up the patrol schedule, but you will also be in charge of reading the student's notes that they write and put in their house box. You will sort out the ones that seem to warrant serious concern and send them to me, other's you can figure out how to deal with yourselves. You must not tell anyone that it is you who are reading them, or discuss any of the information on them with anyone except me. I also want you to come up with a way to encourage students from different houses to come together. I expect to hear your ideas no later than Halloween. Now, I believe you are much more interested in seeing where you will be living for the rest of the school year." McGonagall had stopped in front of a portrait of a very obese man, who was picking crumbs out of his chest hair. She cleared her throat and said "union." The man didn't stop his search, but the portrait swung open, revealing a narrow walkway adorned with candles.

They walked through the passage to the common room, and Hermione's mouth immediately extended to the floor. It wasn't huge, but it was so elegantly decorated it made her feel like they had entered the parlor of a wealthy older couple. The walls were covered with bookshelves and portraits of successful looking witches and wizards. Overhead hung an enormous sparkling chandelier, whose crystals glistened sending dots of light along the walls. There was a large fireplace, with a plush leather half moon couch in front of it. Along the walls were two cherry wood desks, and some scattered chairs and coffee tables. In the center were two leather chairs on either side of a long table covered in four elegantly carved chests with a bronze animal sculpture representing each of the houses on the tops. In the far corner was a spiral staircase, leading to the balcony that overlooked the common room.

"Those chests are where the letters will appear. Upstairs you will find your bedrooms and the bathroom, with all your things already brought up for you. I'm sure you want to finish examining your new dormitories, so I'll let you to it. Don't forget the password is "Union" but you can change it whenever you like, as long as you are both present at the time. Congratulations again, I know you will make us all proud!" With that McGonagall looked at them fondly with watery eyes, and left the room. Hermione was almost to the staircase to finally see her new room, but Malfoy put a hand on her shoulder to stop her.

"Wait a minute Granger, we need to talk."

"Don't touch me Malfoy," She said brushing his hand off of her quickly. "I know McGonagall wants us to get along, but I think the best way to do so is to have as little to do with each other as possible, but act pleasant around everyone else. Honestly, I don't think I could ever be friends with an arrogant little ferret like you."

"What the hell is your problem, Granger? I thought we left off on a rather good note. I mean sure it was an incredibly fucked up situation, but we were being civil to each other. I thought you'd be practically kissing my ass after what I did."

"Are you kidding me?! Why would I be kissing your ass for letting Death Eaters enter the castle, including that werewolf scum. What kind of person do you think I am? That fight almost killed some of my friends! And you just got to run off with Snape, back to you manor or whatever. Now let me pass, I want to see my room." Hermione said glaring and tapping her foot in annoyance.

"You know I meant what happened this summer." He grumbled angrily, not looking at her.

"Unless you opened a shelter for homeless muggleborns and house elves over your break, I couldn't care less." She rolled her eyes and pushed past him up the stairs, to finally see her new dorm.

"Don't you walk away from me, Granger! You have to…. But…they can't have…. ERRR!!" He growled in frustration then stalked out of the portrait. Hermione shrugged off his strange behavior and opened the high cherry door to reveal a king sized canopy bed covered in a velvet maroon comforter. There were satin sheets and pillows in gold, and matching curtains on the window. She saw her trunk and Crookshanks' empty cage at the end of the bed, and knew he had already escaped to go exploring. The door to the closet was open, and she could see her clothes hanging there neatly. Another door stood on the opposite wall, with small letters by the knob spelling out "Vacant." She quickly went through to behold an enormous bathroom, easily rivaling the prefects'. The marble counter top had two sinks and there was a mirror going along the length of the wall. Directly across from her was another door presumably leading to Malfoy's bedroom. There was a toilet in a small separate room, but the large tub and equally large shower were in the main part of the bathroom. There were two fluffy white bathrobes with matching towels folded neatly on shelves set on one of the walls. There were also about every scent of soap, bubble bath, and shampoo she could imagine, and she couldn't wait to try them out in the swimming pool sized tub, when she wasn't so tired. She went back to her bedroom and changed into pajama shorts and a loose fitting t-shirt and got in between the silky sheets of her new bed. She sighed in contentment, and fell asleep almost immediately.

Draco didn't return to his room for over an hour. He needed air to clear his head, and had taken a brisk walk around the lake. He should have known his father would pull something like this. It almost made sense to him, because he supposed the Dark Lord wouldn't want her knowing whose baby she was having, so she could alert the Order and they could find some way to deal with the situation. But at the same time, it was the most absurd idea he had ever heard of. She wasn't stupid enough to believe you could magically get pregnant in your sleep, even prude little Granger knew where babies came from. Did they think she wouldn't notice her stomach ballooning to the size of a whale? It was just ridiculous, their plan was just nonsense! Besides that, she didn't even remember their time together. That wasn't fair at all, since he had to think about it constantly. He had no idea what the hell he was going to do now, and ended up returning to his dorm more frustrated and confused than when he had left.

He mumbled the password and slumped up the staircase, hardly noticing the elaborate bedding or furniture. The only thing he saw was his eagle owl, perched on his bed stand with a letter attached to its leg. He removed the letter and tapped it with his wand to undo the secrecy spell on it. Recognizing the handwriting as his father's, he threw it on the stand to read later, and got into bed. He had had enough excitement for one day.


	10. Chapter 10

Hermione awoke early the next morning feeling rested and refreshed. The dawn was creeping through the windows, giving her an even better look at her room than she had the night before. She noticed a large frame on one wall with small pictures of girls her age, waving merrily at her. She got up to get a closer look, and saw that they must be all the Head Girls that Hogwarts ever had. There was an empty spot near the bottom with her name under it in gold writing. She guessed that if she made it through the whole year without getting relieved of her duties, her picture would join the ranks. She reached out to touch the blank site and sighed. It was going to be a long year if she and Malfoy kept up the hostility towards each other. After everything he pulled last year she was just so angry that he was allowed to return. She definitely hadn't forgiven him for what he did, but it seemed as if McGonagall and the rest of the staff had. Thinking back on it, she didn't exactly give him a chance during their encounter the previous night. He was acting crazy though, talking about them leaving off on a good note and some other crap. In the end, Hermione decided to at least try to bite her tongue around him. She wasn't going for friendship, but she thought she had a better chance of keeping her position if she put forth some kind of effort to be civil.

She shuffled through her trunk to find her face wash and a razor, then headed to the bathroom for a quick shower before breakfast. She carelessly pushed the door open and took about three steps inside when she stopped dead in her tracks. Standing at the sink was a shirtless, boxer clad, Draco Malfoy. He was splashing water on his face, and didn't even look up at her when she entered. He had dark circles under his eyes, but they were partially hidden by his white blonde locks that were falling every which way, but looking sexy all the same. Hermione took in his chiseled arms and back, but also saw small scars and light bruising littering his creamy white skin. Her eyes traveled lower and widened in shock. She wasn't the only one in the room who was 'up' early in the morning. She gasped at his obviously large manhood, and he finally turned towards her, with a smirk that didn't quite meet his tired eyes.

"See something you like, Granger?" He asked in a husky but amused voice.

"Malfoy! Err.. sorry… no." She finished lamely, quickly switching her gaze to the floor and turning around to run from the room. She walked straight into the outside edge of the open door, and everything went black.

He lay on the bed with his arms folded across his chest, staring expectantly at the door to the bathroom. Minutes later it flew open, silhouetting Hermione Granger's subtle curves and long slender legs in the threshold. A lacey thick strapped thong and simple white tank top were the only barriers between him and her smooth lightly tanned skin. She walked towards him sensually, reaching out a hand to brush the hair from his forehead, before resting her lips on his. He drank in her sweet taste hungrily as he snaked his arms around her waist, pulling her to join him on the luxurious velvet comforter. Her legs intertwined with his, her upper thigh putting light pressure on his straining erection, as she began to slowly work on his button down shirt.

"You know, I never got to pay you back for the other night," she whispered in his ear erotically, her hot breath sending shivers down his spine. He looked up into her rich chocolate brown eyes and saw a teasing and mischievous look playing her features. He liked this new side of little bookworm.

"What did you have in mind?" He replied, in a mock serious tone.

"Well I don't want to ruin the surprise, but I don't think you'll object." She winked at him as she undid the last of the buttons, running her hands up and over his hard stomach, perfectly sculpted from years of quidditch. He sat up to help her remove his shirt, and tossed it away, eager to see what she had in store for him. She moved her legs in between his, sitting on her ankles in a kneeling position. Her hands slowly massaged his inner thighs in circles through the thick material of his expensive dress pants, which were becoming tighter with every touch. She was painfully close to his protrusion, but she worked her way purposely around it to the buckle and undid it with ease. His zipper was pulled tight against his throbbing erection, but she slid it down, tantalizingly slow, enjoying his reaction to the slight stimulation.

He reached down to quickly remove the rest of his pants, but she stopped him once he had them over his hips. She crawled her way back up his body, then scattered random kisses across his neck and down his stomach. She reached one hand up to lightly pinch his nipple, as her tongue shot out to flick the other one. He groaned aloud at the bolt of electricity that she sent through him with her skilled mouth. Her head was moving down, her hair tickling his stomach while one hand brushed up against the underside of his cock through the silky designer boxers. She placed a soft kiss on the tip of his penis through the cloth, before slipping her fingers under the black elastic band, and freeing him from the last of his confines. Her hand glided over the smooth skin, to cup his balls and roll them lightly in her palm. She placed another soft kiss on the head, letting her tongue sneak out to circle it, smearing the precum and saliva over the oversensitive area.

She looked up into his eyes and smiled, as his cock pulsed in her hand that was now moving rhythmically up and down. She had really dazzling white teeth. He had never noticed how bright they were until now. They were almost too bright. He had to put a hand up to shield his eyes.

"Granger… your teeth are getting in my eyes." There was no reply.

"Please, don't stop, just close your teeth." He begged her, realizing he sounded like a mad man, but it was very important that she went back to her previous ministrations on his body. He reached out to touch her hair, but Hermione had gone. He squinted through the morning sun that was blaring through the window, and moodily fell back on his pillow. He needed to stop having these silly sex dreams. They were driving him crazy, and always left him with an unusually hard morning wood that didn't seem to be completely cured by masturbation. He looked down at the large tent in the blanket and groaned.

"WHY!? Why her!?" He yelled at it, fisting his hands in his hair in frustration. Rolling out of bed somewhat awkwardly, he stumbled towards the bathroom to get a hold on himself with a cold shower… or maybe to just get 'a hold' on himself.

He turned on the faucet and was splashing cool water on his face when he heard the other door creak open. 'Stupid Granger can't even be courteous enough to read the occupied sign on her door, or at least knock,' he thought angrily. He was barely awake and had definitely not recovered from the heated dream about her. 'And she's noticed,' he thought when she heard her gasp. He finally turned to face her and grinned at her blatant line of sight. He was going to make the most out of this and thoroughly embarrass her if he could. He needed some revenge on her for her rudeness towards him last night, and just because he was a Malfoy after all.

Unfortunately, the scenario worked out much better in his mind than in reality, which was why he was now slapping her face to get her to come to. He had almost laughed when she ran into the door, until he saw her fall backwards unconscious. He caught her before she hit the ground, and now had her head in his lap.

"Granger!! Wake up! Get up! Granger!!" He was frantically slapping her cheek and it was turning red. Her eyes finally fluttered open and she stared up at him groggily, until she realized whose lap she was in, and what was touching her. She stood up quickly and swayed slightly, putting her hand on Draco's shoulder for support.

"Sorry… err…. What happened?" She asked timidly, removing her hand from his shoulder when she got her balance so he could stand up.

"You walked in unannounced and upon seeing my half naked body, you passed out. I guess I really am drop dead gorgeous. Lucky for you I caught you before you hit the ground. You're welcome, by the way."

"I know you're lying, but thank you for catching me." He noticed that it sounded like she forced herself to say those words, and he was slightly hurt by it. She started to leave the bathroom, more carefully this time, but stopped with her hand on the knob and turned to face him again,

"Why? Why did you catch me?"

"Well… I didn't think I'd keep my position for very long if I let the Head Girl crack her skull open." He stated it as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, inwardly praising his acting ability. The truth of the matter was that he had caught her because he couldn't bear to see her injure her perfect body, or the being inside of it. He couldn't believe he was actually caring about her wellbeing. Draco Malfoy wasn't supposed to _care _about anything or anyone but himself.

Hermione went back to her room and fell on the bed. This was not how she imagined her first day back at school going, and worst of all, visions of Malfoy's prominent erection were now swimming across her mind. How dare he put her in a situation like that? She had to admit that it was nice of him to catch her, although if he had put some clothes on before he went in THEIR bathroom, she wouldn't have ended up in his lap in the first place. She looked at the clock on her nightstand and realized she didn't have that much time to sit here thinking about the little ferret, and threw on her robes and headed down to breakfast.

After a cold shower that had done the job on his boner, he huffed back into his room to get dressed. He was about to leave for breakfast when the letter by his bed caught his eye, and curiosity got the best of him. He held it away at arms length and read it, hating himself for being interested in anything his father had to say to him.

"You need to make sure Granger is getting around at Hogwarts, or at least that she's slept with someone or does so within the next month. I will be checking back in a few weeks to make sure she has. The Dark Lord has doubts about your abilities to pull this off, but I have assured him that you would never fail him again. Do not disappoint me or you will be sorry. Do not reply to this message,

Your Father"

Draco lit the letter on fire with his wand, and watched it turn to black ashes with a satisfied expression. He grabbed his bag and headed out the door, thinking of the many ways he would disfigure the first man to lay a finger on Hermione Granger.


	11. Chapter 11

"What!? What are you staring at?" Hermione glared at Harry across the table, he kept shooting glances at her all morning and she was quickly losing her patience with him.

"Nothing…. Well actually, it's just that you have a umm… dent on your head. You probably just slept on something, but it looks kind of funny." Harry shrugged and grinned apologetically, as Hermione reached up to touch her forehead. She could feel a vertical indentation from her hairline to her eyebrow. 'Could this day get any better?'

"Oh yes I slept on the edge of my pillow, I didn't realize it left a mark."

"It's not so noticeable, well it is, but I'm sure it will go away soon," Ron said while reaching across the table to pat her hand. Hermione just rolled her eyes and returned to her breakfast in a grumpy mood. As if she wasn't already embarrassed enough by what happened that morning, now a reminder of it was stamped across her forehead.

McGonagall eventually came around and handed out schedules to all the Gryffindors. Hermione was relieved to see that she actually had a free first period before Ancient Runes, and DADA followed by Potions after lunch.

"Yes! We have all morning off, and we get to check out both the new teachers today. I don't care that Snape is supposedly a good guy, I'm so glad he's gone. Slughorn wasn't that much of an improvement on him either, so I wonder how this guy will be." Harry contemplated enthusiastically.

"Yeah, and the view won't be so bad in DADA anymore, even if she is bad." That earned Ron a swift kick to the shin from Hermione, and he shoved a large amount of eggs in his mouth to stem further conversation. The fact that he was checking out other women didn't bother her, she just didn't appreciate it when men judged on looks alone.

"Honestly, I think I've had all I can take of this lovely morning. I'll see you guys in class, I need to go to the library."

Hermione was just out the door when McGonagall called her name.

"One minute Miss Granger, I just need a word with you and Mr. Malfoy, hold on while I get him."

"What is it, professor?" Draco asked, walking towards them from the entrance hall.

"Oh, hello there Mr. Malfoy, I'll make this quick so you can get some breakfast. I just wanted the two of you to know that you need to have a meeting with the prefects tonight about the patrol schedule, and you can listen to ideas or share yours about improving inter-house relationships. Here are the rules you need to lay out for them before they start patrolling," she said as she handed each of them a small pamphlet.

"Also, the two of you need to decide on the time for the next meeting and let them know. I have already informed them of this one, and they will meet you at 5 sharp in the old transfiguration classroom on the second floor. I'll check back with you after dinner to see how it went."

"Thanks Professor," Hermione replied, doing her best to look straight at her so she wouldn't catch Malfoy's eyes. Both students nodded at the older woman before retreating to their desired destinations.

Hermione could feel her cheeks burning just from being in his presence, and almost ran to the library. She was in desperate need of a distraction from the sexual images of Malfoy's taut body once again running through her mind. She found a book entitled "Blistering, Bubbling Body Burdens: Not for the Faint Hearted" and figured the disturbing curses would be enough to drive the even more disturbing images from her mind.

Ancient Runes was by far Hermione's favorite class, and she spent the period decoding a script from the earliest wizarding civilization in history. The ancient Mesopotamian writing was unlike anything she had ever seen so far, but by the end of class she had earned 10 points for Gryffindor for already having translated the first page. The rest was given for homework, and Hermione skipped lunch to get started on it.

Professor Anastasia Figg was a vast improvement on Umbridge, and much nicer than Snape (not that that was saying much). She started the class off with everyone going over the basics such as stunning spells and disarming. Most of the class were pro's at these, as almost all of them that had made it this far were members of Dumbledore's Army. Only Malfoy and Blaise Zabini had continued to NEWT level from Slytherin house. The class went by fairly smoothly, the only incident being when Neville accidentally disarmed the professor. He walked to the front of the class to hand back her wand, but went in a sort of daze when she touched his hand to take it, and didn't let go until Harry rushed over to lead him away.

The new potions teacher may have been as handsome as Lockhart, but it was obvious that was the only similarity between the two. He immediately put them in groups of two, and set the class on the extremely difficult task of brewing a fever reducing draft. Hermione and Draco were paired together since they were supposed to be presenting an example to the rest of the students. They spent the class in forced politeness bordering on slight hostility. Hermione was still using all her effort towards not looking at him, and it was starting to take affect on their potion.

"Granger!" Draco snapped and hit her hand away from the cauldron. "We don't add that until the powdered unicorn horn has been simmering for 10 minutes! We haven't even added the horn yet!!"

"So sorry oh perfect one." She replied through gritted teeth. "It's not like I couldn't have fixed it further on."

"You know, it seems to me that I have been the brains of this operation so far, which is odd because you're the one who has probably already read the book cover to cover. Is something 'big' on your mind, or are you just having a 'hard' time concentrating today?" He purposefully emphasized the words to get her to blush, which she did right on cue, muttering under her breath about his immaturity.

"You're potion should now be turning a light shade of orange. It needs to brew for at least 24 hours before you can finish adding your ingredients, so we will continue during Friday's double period. One member of each group will be given a potion that will give them a high fever, and if your potion is correct, it should reverse it. If not, well…. I'll warn Madam Pomfrey and she can fix you up. See you all later!"

"If she thinks I'm drinking that after your performance today, she's got another thing coming," Malfoy stated before covering their pot and collecting his things. She did the same, setting off to go meet up with Harry and Ron and listen to them take pity on her for having such an asshole for a partner.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"Oh nowhere in particular, just as far away from you as I can get," she spat back sarcastically, quickly checking for any sign of the teacher.

"Suite yourself, I'll just tell the prefects that the Head Girl couldn't get off her high horse for long enough to do her job. I'm sure they'll understand." Hermione inwardly groaned and took off after him up to the second floor. She had completely forgotten about the meeting, and wasn't in the mood to spend more forced time with the blonde man in front of her. They reached the classroom to find it already full of the prefects waiting nervously. They stared open-mouthed at Draco when he entered, and were guiltily looking at each other, as if they had just finished talking about him. Malfoy chose to ignore it to get this over as fast as they could. He was about to start the meeting, but Hermione was a second ahead of him.

"Hello everyone, I'm Hermione and this is Mal- Draco. I'm sure you know we are here to go over the patrol schedule, but there is one other thing I don't know if the professor told you about. This year she wants us to plan something to encourage friendships between houses, does anyone have any ideas?" Hermione looked around encouragingly, but they all just stared at her, and then looked down nervously, as if they were trying to avoid being called on.

"Ok well I was thinking maybe we could organize a book swap. You know where everyone picks their favorite book and exchanges it with someone else." Two prefects snorted at this, and Malfoy was just staring at her with a cocky smirk. 'At least she was trying; he didn't see him coming up with anything,' she thought angrily.

"That would only work in a made up place called Grangerland. We need something that people will actually want to go to. Like a dance or something, only better." Hermione was grinding her teeth and scowling at him for undermining her in front of everyone, and opened her mouth to retort but she was interrupted just in time.

"Ooo a dance! Let's do that!" the Gryffindor prefect, Anna, piped up. The rest of the girl prefects were all nodding happily in agreement, while the boys looked indifferent.

"Err... yes we could have a dance if Professor McGonagall will let us. We need some sort of theme though, and we'd have to make it a rule that everyone has to go with someone from a different house. So any theme ideas?"

"Let's do a Hawaiian dance! All us girls can wear coconut bras and little grass skirts it would be perfect! And the boys can go around 'laying' us. Ha ha it would be so much fun!" Hermione stared in disgust at the Slytherin prefect, Victoria. The boys however seemed a little more inclined to a dance after hearing that.

"I don't think the Professor McGonagall will let us, sorry. Any other ideas?" she looked around hopefully, but everyone seemed to be getting over the luau idea. She wanted to hear everyone's thoughts because they were supposed to have something good by Halloween, which really wasn't that far ahead. 'Wait a sec…' she thought as a light bulb went on in her head.

"What about if we had a costume party on Halloween?" Hermione watched as everyone took in her idea. Their faces didn't seem to be immediately turned off by it, which she took as a good sign.

"Can I dress as a Hawaiian dancer?" Victoria asked. Before Hermione could say no, Draco interrupted her with an "of course you can," and the little Slytherin girl squealed in delight.

"So that's settled. We will talk it over with the Headmistress soon so we can get started on planning it." The prefects looked on excitedly, and Hermione felt proud of herself for her idea, and relieved that everything was going so smoothly. She let Draco explain the patrol schedule. She and Malfoy were supposed to oversee them every night for the first two weeks, but after that they were allowed to rotate along with everyone else. McGonagall had specifically requested that the pairings be from different houses, but that they were the same sex. Hermione wondered how many times prefects had been caught snogging each other while they were supposed to be on duty, to instigate this rule.

After the meeting, Hermione and Draco just had time to run to their room to drop off their books before dinner. They walked together in silence, making Hermione wonder why he wasn't using this time to call her a mudblood or say something about her looks. She guessed he was taking his position as Head Boy much more seriously than she had given him credit for, and decided to put forth an effort as well.

"Err.. the meeting went quite well. They seem like a pretty good bunch, except that Slytherin girl. She kind of seemed like a scarlet woman if you know what I mean. I wonder why she was chosen as prefect, I'm sure there were much more err… conservative choices." Hermione nervously took a stab at starting a conversation. Draco snorted at this and looked at Hermione with a bemused expression.

"Scarlet woman, Granger? What are you, a hundred years old? If you were, it would explain a lot actually. Like how you must be blind to think that any girl in Slytherin is 'conservative.' Honestly, you never noticed how all the uniforms in my house seem to have shrunk, and that they wear scarves when it isn't even cold out? They aren't making a fashion statement, they are hiding all the hickies on their necks." He shook his head in disbelief that she could be so smart and so oblivious to her surroundings at the same time.

"I'm sorry I don't spend all my time checking out other girls and what they're wearing. I have a life that doesn't revolve around sex, unlike you."

"Well that's not much of a life now is it. I can't even respond to that, because you didn't really insult me." They had reached the Great Hall, and Hermione watched as Draco headed off towards his table, then she slowly walked towards hers. She couldn't believe what had just happened. They had had an entire conversation that didn't include the words mudblood or ferret. She joined Ginny, Harry, and Ron at the table feeling strangely content. Even though she was sure he was only acting civilized towards her because of what McGonagall had said to them the night before, it was definitely an improvement, and she was going to take what she could get. Her friends instantly started on how sorry they felt that she had to spend so much time with Malfoy, and for some reason she just went along with it. She was positive he was over at his table, bad-mouthing her to all his friends, so she couldn't bring herself to defend him.

Malfoy had arrived at the Slytherin table for dinner with an odd feeling in his stomach and unwanted thoughts in his head. He was strangely turned on by the way Hermione had taken charge during the meeting, and had come up with an idea that even he thought was good. He couldn't quite figure out why she effected him so much now, when he had loathed the sight of her his first six years at school. Well no, that wasn't entirely true. He had to admit that sometime during their fourth year she had become attractive. Her teeth didn't stick out so much and her hair slowly became less frizzy. So he hadn't always loathed the sight of her, more like the idea of her. She was a muggleborn after all, and she had always gotten higher marks than he did. Maybe he was just jealous? He used to think of himself as superior for having pure wizarding blood, which was rare and set him apart on many levels in his mind. After seeing what his father had become by living off those beliefs, he was starting to doubt them. He didn't think he had, or would ever, turn over an entirely new leaf, but he couldn't help but to start to rethink his previous prejudices.

Now on to the bigger dilemma of his extreme sexual attraction to her. He could understand why he wanted her when she arrived in his cell over the summer. After all, she was the first female being he had seen in over two months, and being locked up like an animal did not make him any less of a man with needs. He remembered how she lay there completely helpless, and yet she still stood up to his father, who was standing over her with a wand. He wasn't even chained in his cell and still cringed when his father would enter. Then she had been brutally raped by the most evil wizard in existence, and **she** had tried to comfort **him** and tell him that he would be leaving. She was unlike any girl he had ever known. All the girls he had been with were always out of sexual needs more than anything else. He figured half of them were using him for sex, and he was using the other half. He probably slept with Pansy the most, because she was always hanging on him and it got her to shut up. She would probably do anything for him, and yet he never felt a fraction of the feelings for Pansy that he was now feeling towards Hermione. He hated himself for it, but at the same time it felt right. Plus there was the whole problem of her probably carrying his child and not knowing it. That complicated things a bit. He wasn't even going to begin to figure it out, but even if he couldn't tell her, she would notice eventually.

He gave up on his thoughts, and drifted back into the present, which consisted of Goyle and Bullstrode feeding each other cream puffs, and Pansy telling the beastly girl about some new lingerie she bought. Draco could tell she was purposely talking loud to get him to hear, but he ignored her and turned to Blaise for a chance at an intelligent conversation. Zabini was wealthy, handsome, and highly respected in the wizarding world. Draco and him had grown quite close over the past couple years. He liked that Blaise was much more open minded than himself, so Draco could talk to him when he needed an opinion that wasn't his father's.

"So how is sharing living quarters with little Miss Perfect?" He asked Draco.

"Horrible, well I guess it could be worse, it could be Pansy. McGonagall told us that if she ever sees us fighting though, we will get booted, no questions asked. We are supposed to set an example. It's bullshit at its finest, but Granger is going for it. I can't let her win and see me gone, it would make her too happy."

"Plus she isn't quite as hard on the eyes as she used to be. I'm sure you've noticed."

"I know you couldn't possibly be implying that I'm attracted to that little muggle filth, Zabini."

"Why shouldn't you be… she's hot! You need to quit all the pure blood crap, it's getting old. Even my mother has realized the world is changing, and it doesn't look good to be badmouthing muggles or Potter anymore. Surely yours has realized this as well if she wants to stay on top."

"My mother will always be on top." Crabbe burst out laughing at this and Malfoy hit him hard on the back of the head, although he was semi-impressed that the kid who couldn't tie his shoes, picked up on a sexual innuendo.

After dinner he caught up with Granger to talk to McGonagall about their idea for a Halloween costume party. She thought the rule about everyone taking someone from a different house was brilliant, but also expected the two Heads to go together as well. He couldn't say he didn't expect it, but it made him happy to hear it all the same. McGonagall had said that she wanted them to organize a few more details before she announced the party to the school. Then Potter and Weasel had shown up to walk Hermione back to their common room. He saw Weasley grab her hand and Draco shot him a death look, using all his self control to not curse him right there in front of the headmistress. He grumbled and went back to the Head common room to relax before rounds later that night.

Patrolling the hallways wasn't as glamorous as it was made out to be. For two hours they just roamed the corridors making small but generally polite conversation. They didn't find anyone out of bed and returned to their dorm after 11 completely exhausted. Hermione didn't even feel up to starting her homework. She and Draco had discussed plans for the party. The Great Hall was the obvious choice, but since it was going to be a Halloween party, Draco thought it would be better down in the dungeons. They also thought students who were of age would like to be allowed to drink, but they didn't know if McGonagall would go for that. Hermione felt pleased at the way the evening had went, and was actually disappointed when it was time for it to end. She grabbed her bad off the floor and headed up the stairs. At her bedroom door she paused, having a small battle in her mind; her good side one.

"Goodnight Malfoy."

"Mmm Hmm."

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Reviews are my inspiration!! Thank you guys so much and please keep them coming : )

-lizzy


	12. Chapter 12

"You should be done adding the ingredients by now. Please remove your cauldrons from the flame and let it sit for a few minutes. Your potion will start to feel cold, and you will know it is ready to drink when steam starts to rise from the difference in temperature." To Hermione's relief, their potion had the desired color and texture, and upon removing it from the heat source, she could already feel the cauldron becoming cool to the touch.

"That looks pretty good, if I didn't know any better, I would have thought you were trying to poison me after your performance last class." Malfoy told her with a satisfied look on his face and he inspected their potion.

"Lucky for me you mean, I'll test the ruddy potion." Hermione sighed in resignation. She knew if the potion wasn't right it was her fault, and she could own up to her mistakes.

"Err… no I- I don't think so," He stuttered out. "You do enough sucking up, I can't be overshadowed all the time by a woman." He liked this excuse, but she was giving him a questioning look and he picked up his bag and started stuffing his books inside so he could ignore her. He wasn't sure if taking the potion would actually cause harm to the baby, but he couldn't let her take the chance. He just hoped they didn't make anything dangerous of disfiguring, or it would be a very long and painful year. When he used to partner with Goyle, he would always make him be the tester. He prayed the teachers wouldn't be suspicious of his newfound desire to do all the dirty work.

One by one they watched as their classmates drank a small vial of red solution, which left their faces flushed and sweaty, then with a sip of their own potion the symptoms went away. Ron and Harry's potion had left Harry shivering and his teeth chattering, which Alberson explained was from adding too much hellebore but not enough mint oil to balance it, and the side effects would wear off in a few hours. Draco took the red vial and immediately felt faint and overheated. He drank their fever reducing draft and felt a cool stream of ice traveling through his veins. After a minute or so he felt completely back to normal, and sighed in relief. Unlike Potter he didn't enjoy weekly visits to the infirmary.

Hermione was relieved for the weekend so she could catch up on her homework. She walked to dinner with Harry and Ron, going over the study schedule in her mind. Ginny caught up to them in the entrance hall and they walked in together after Harry gave her a soft kiss on the lips. Ron looked over at Hermione and she could tell he wanted to kiss her to not be shown up by his little sister. For some reason thinking about Ron kissing her made her feel weird, so she turned away from him towards Ginny.

"Professor McGonagall should have some exciting news to announce tonight."

"Is it about the Halloween party?"

"What? How did you find out about it!?"

"Are you kidding? Wednesday night the first thing Anna did was tell all of Gryffindor, and I'm sure the rest of the prefects did the same. I got a whole bunch of magazines so we can pick out costumes later. Nice idea 'Mione!"

"Well that's just great. I should have known better than to think a secret could be kept for 5 minutes in a huge castle that doesn't even have telephones. That makes perfect sense, really."

"Oh cheer up, we're having a Halloween party! A party at Hogwarts; how many people can say they lived to see that?"

After dinner ended and the plates cleared, McGonagall did indeed make the announcement. Her short speech was met with loud cheers, but Ginny was right, no one looked the least bit surprised.

The first month back at school went by quite smoothly. Harry even had a lead on where the next Horcrux might be, thanks to a book Hermione had found on a dusty top shelf of the library that turned out to be the diary of Eliza Smith, a prominent wizarding lawyer and close relative of Hepzibah Smith. According to the diary, Eliza knew much about the cup and claimed that the cup itself could deflect evil curses and could never hold poison within it. It said that unless the cup was near Hufflepuff blood, it would eventually lose those powers. This led Harry to believe that Voldemort had hidden it near the grave of Helga, which was in a small town on the edge of Wales. Order members were currently trying to plan an expedition to the site without attracting too much attention to themselves. Hermione could tell from Harry's attitude that he was excited but somewhat apprehensive to begin his search and eventually end the war.

They were sitting down to breakfast on the first Friday of October and Hermione was scanning the front page of the Daily Prophet, tuning out Harry and Ron's quidditch talks. She looked up when she noticed them go silent, and was annoyed to see them staring expectantly at her.

"What?'

"Any Death Eater news?" Ron asked her, for about the tenth time that week, and hundredth time since school started. However, on each occasion her answer was the same, except for yesterday when she had told him to read the bloody paper himself if he wanted to know. It was strange being in the middle of a war and at the same time, there was no fighting. No one had seen any signs of the dark wizards since the beginning of summer. They had arrested a man who worked at the ministry in the department of magical law enforcement, who was suspected of being a spy for Voldemort, but all the newspaper had said on that occasion was the he was sentenced to twenty years in Azkaban and that he had "gone quietly." At times Hermione wondered if Voldemort had given up, but when she voiced this opinion to Harry, he pointed to his scar and said "I'd know."

Hermione now actually looked forward to the double potions classes that ended the week. She and Malfoy were excelling above their classmates, which was just the way she liked it. Their latest potion, Essence de Gras, a weight loss solution, had earned them top marks. Today they were spending the period doing research on their next assignment. Professor Figg now wanted them to invent their own potion, or at least attempt to. Hermione was searching through her book of 1,000 Magical Herbs and Fungi, while Malfoy was just randomly spouting ideas.

"What about something to make every single one of Eloise Midgen's pimples pop at once. That one on her chin has been there all week just yearning to be popped. It was calling to me Harry! Oh I so want to pop them!" Hermione couldn't believe what was coming out of Ron's mouth, it was disgusting! The whole class got quiet for a minute, before every single one of them burst out laughing. Even the teacher was stifling a laugh that she tried to turn into a cough as to not offend anyone. Hermione was torn between laughing at the strangeness of Ron's confession, and cursing him for being mean towards poor Eloise.

"That might be the best idea Weasel ever had. He could sell tickets to the show and buy something decent to wear for once." Ron didn't hear Malfoy's latest insult, which was fortunate because Hermione wasn't in the mood to break up a fight between her boyfriend and new 'acquaintance,' which was the best word she could think of to describe the odd relationship between herself and the Head Boy. They were definitely not friends by any means. Malfoy was always making sarcastic comments toward her and combating her opinions. For some unknown reason, she actually enjoyed having these kinds of conversations with him. They kept her on her toes and left her satisfied whenever she was able to come up with a witty retort. To ruder the better, but they never took the mean comments seriously anymore. It was more like a game to them than anything else. They had even laughed together at some of the ridiculous notes students were sending through the boxes. Not one had been important enough to send to the headmistress, and they were starting to regard this duty as a joke. Most were just complaints about other students that included but were not limited to: "my roommate smells funny," and "I have hair in odd places, maybe someone put a spell on me."

By the end of class Hermione still couldn't think of what to create. Malfoy had suggested a potion to make all female underwear edible, one to turn first-years blue, and one to make clothes disappear on the drinker if they looked better naked. Hermione just rolled her eyes at his ramblings and shook her head, gathering her books and heading out the door with Ron and Harry.

Later that night, Hermione and Ginny found themselves sprawled out on their stomachs, poring over magazines they had scattered across the head common room floor. Ginny kept nagging at Hermione to pick out a costume for the party, who finally gave in after the redhead followed her back to her dorm with a box full of the ads. Hermione could see the top of a blonde head on the couch that faced the fire, but he didn't move to leave when the girls arrived, so she just let him be.

"You and Ron should go as some kind of couple themed costumes. Like Batman and Robin or something."

"Robin was a boy, Gin."

"Physically yes, but you could pull it off."

"Gee… Thanks… It doesn't matter though, I have to go with Malfoy."

"No way! That is so unfair. I mean I kinda get why you have to partner him in class, but the biggest social event of the year and you have to have ferret boy as your date? I would protest. OOO Ron is going to be so mad!"

"You do realize I can hear you, Weaselette? Don't be jealous that Granger gets to take a real man to the party. I'm sure Potter will go through puberty some day." Draco spat in a tired voice. He must have been sleeping, and Hermione felt kind of bad for waking him.

"Oh go eat a skrewt, Malfoy." Ginny angrily replied, before turning back to the magazine she was browsing.

"Oh look at this one, it's Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz, and they have a lion, tin man, and scarecrow costume to go with it!" Hermione pointed excitedly at the picture.

"I've never heard of the wizard of Oz, do you know if he went to school here? I could look him up."

"He wasn't a real wizard, it was just a movie. Dorothy tries to get home and meets a scarecrow who thinks he has no brain, a tin man, and a lion on her journey. There's also a witch who tries to kill her. It used to be my favorite when I was little." Ginny was still staring blankly at her, and instead of explaining all about muggle movies she decided to move on to a different costume book and not say anything.

"I think you should go as Dorothy, and Weasel can be the scarecrow since he's got no brains." Malfoy sneered from the other side of the couch.

"And you could be the tin man, since you have no heart. Actually you're kind of a coward as well. I wonder if they sell any mutant tin lion man costumes." Malfoy let out a loud fake laugh, that he ended after a second.

"You are hilarious Granger. Seriously. Too funny. Not." Hermione just rolled her eyes and returned to the page she was looking over. Ginny was watching the exchange between the two Heads with interest.

"Aren't you going to at least try to throw a curse at him after that? He totally mocked you out and you just shrugged it off like it was nothing. This is MALFOY! Why not make him pay for being well… him!?"

"He's not worth it," Hermione replied flatly. She could tell Ginny didn't completely buy it, but she wasn't ready for the storm that would come if her friends found out about her and Malfoy practically getting along. She was already worried about what Ron would say when he found out that she was expected to go to the party with Malfoy. Ron was busy with quidditch so they hadn't had a chance to really go over the plans for Halloween, and Hermione wasn't in a hurry to bring it up.

"Oh I like this one! It's Lou Befner, the inventor of Playwiz, and a Playwiz bunny! That would be perfect for me an Harry, don't you think?"

"Err… that costume doesn't leave much to the imagination. You can practically see her butt in the picture!"

"Yup, it's perfect. Harry will love it." Hermione just shook her head and watched Ginny tear out the order form in the back of the magazine. So far the Dorothy costume was the only one she could find that wasn't completely revealing. She supposed a Hawaiian girl was tame compared to some of the skimpy costumes they had for sale. Ginny left after insisting that Hermione have something picked out by the next day, so they could shop for accessories during the Hogsmead visit on Sunday. Malfoy got up from his spot on the couch to look down at Hermione and the magazines that were haphazardly lying all over the previously clean floor.

"We should go as those ones; A pirate and his wench. I get a sword and you get to give me drinks. That's settled then."

"I wouldn't be caught dead wearing something as flimsy and degrading as that. I think you should go as the scarecrow and I can be Dorothy. Or we don't have to wear themed costumes at all, it's not really necessary."

"We could just go naked as Adam and Eve."

"Adam and Eve wore leaves or something, I'm sure of it."

"Ok then beer wench and pirate it is!" He grinned evilly, picking up the magazine and tearing out the order form.

"I will not… I refuse. You can order it but it will just be a waste of your money."

"Well I have money to waste. What if we make a bet. If you win I'll go as the scare man or whatever. But if I win, you have to be my wench and get me drinks all night when I call on you."

"And what will you do for me if I win?"

"I'll try not to make Weasel too jealous," she just glared at him. "Err… I'll let you use the bathroom first for a week as long as you don't make a mess in there." That offer was tempting. Somehow Malfoy always managed to beat her to the shower, and took forever, to the point that she had missed breakfast twice already.

"Deal. What are the stakes?"

"How about the quidditch match. Gryffindor wins you win. Slytherin wins, I win. Ok?"

"But you've never beaten Harry. Do you want to be the scarecrow or something?" This was too easy, she couldn't lose. She just didn't get why Malfoy chose to bet on that of all things, unless he wanted her to win.

"Just make sure you shave your legs, people will get to see a lot of them in that wench costume."

"GO HARRY GO!!" Hermione yelled from the stands at the first match of the season. The score was 50 - 30 to Gryffindor. Ginny had scored 4 of the 5 goals, and Ron was playing quite well, having saved over ten goals already. Harry and Draco were neck in neck, speeding towards the snitch in a spectacular dive. Hermione was squeezing Neville's hand and he was cringing from the pain, but she paid no attention. They were almost at the ground, their broomsticks barely grazing the neatly cut grass as they pulled out of the dive simultaneously. They both reached out for the tiny golden ball. Hermione was screaming so loud her voice was cracking.

The whistle blew and the fans stood up and cheered excitedly. The players were flying towards the ground, creating a sea of maroon and green robes.

The game was over.

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Thanks a bunch for reading and reviewing. I LOVE reviews! : )


	13. Chapter 13

A/N- Hello everyone! Thank you so much to those of you who are reading and reviewing! I love to hear that people are enjoying my writing it makes it so much more worthwhile if you guys actually like it. Also, I have a question for those of you who read fanfiction on this website a lot. I haven't had a chance to read anything in awhile and when I was reading it was always on , so I was wondering, to those of you who read 'M' rated things on here a lot... How smutty are we allowed to be? Like, is sex ok as long as it's not super kinky or something? LoL, sorry but they don't really tell you what is allowed on here and I'm too lazy to check out other people's stuff! Anywhoo, on with the story!

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"To the look on Potter's face when Draco swiped the snitch right out from under him!"

"CHEERS!" The Slytherins all chorused, raising their shot glasses to the air before downing the amber liquid within.

"To the downfall of those stuck up Gryffindor do-gooders!!" Blaise shouted over the adrenaline pumped common room, while passing around the bottle of Ogden's for the second round.

"YEAH!" Draco shouted along with the rest, then felt the burn of the firewhiskey shooting down his throat, and raised his glass for another.

"To proving that we are the best team, not just the best looking!" The proud blonde yelled to crowd, who cheered again and knocked back another shot.

"Fucking right!!" Zabini roared, slapping Draco on the back and making him choke on his drink. "How about something a little stronger? I've got some good stuff up in my room if you think you can handle it."

"Bring it on, Zabini," Draco smirked and downed another shot of firewhiskey just for the hell of it, while his handsome friend went to retrieve the bottle.

Not even two hours later, Draco was thoroughly sloshed, and just sat at the round table in the Slytherin common room grinning stupidly at his friends, who were equally wasted. They were playing a card game that Zabini supposedly invented, called Kings. Draco didn't exactly understand all the rules, he just knew that his friends kept telling him to drink, and it was getting harder and harder to see straight.

"Oooh 9… rhyme time! Err… stick!" Pansy giggled at the word, and for some reason, so did the rest of the table.

"Lick." more giggles

"Pick."

"Kick."

"Wick."

"Prick."

"DICK! Ha ha ha!" And of course everyone laughed at Bulstrode's 'ingenious' rhyme.

"Slick."

"Ick."

"Ick isn't a word…. Draco has to drink!!" Pansy shrieked and pointed at him.

"It is so!!" he argued, but took a swig anyways. "Like it is ick…errr….eeee… yup icky, that Crabbe shaves his ass hair and it used to stick to the walls in our shower."

"It was a forest down there, what did you expect me to do!?" He tried to sound serious, but quickly broke down, and the rest of the table followed suite. Crabbe withdrew the next card.

"Jack.. rule! Umm… Every time someone says "Booger," Draco has to drink. Sorry mate, but you're funny drunk. Plus you owe me for the ass hair comment, I had everyone believing it was Goyle's." Malfoy just glared at his over large friend, and Goyle looked slightly offended.

"Booger is a funny word… I said booger so you have to drink! I said it again!" Draco took a long drink from his cold beer, trying to think of when Victoria had said booger for the second time. 'Booger… that really is a funny word,' he thought to himself, as Victoria chose the next card.

"I got a queen! Question… let's see… Pansy, do I have something in my nose?"

"Umm… is it a booger?"

"Why do you have a booger in your nose?"

"Why is saying 'booger' so much fun?

"How many times do you think we can say booger?"

"How much is Draco gonna puke tomorrow?… booger."

"How much do you hate us right now for saying booger?

"So much… you'll regret this!"

"Ha ha you lose!"

"How bad do you want Granger right now?"

"So bad."

"Hey, you already wen-" Victoria stopped mid sentence, leaving her mouth wide open in shock.

"Hah!" Blaise shouted triumphantly. Draco noticed that everyone was staring at him, so he grabbed his mug and drank; it was practically a reflex at this point.

"Eww gross!" Pansy yelled at him. "You want the mudblood instead of ME!? I'll get you for that! Booger booger booger booger booger booger booger booger booger booger booger booger booger booger booger booger booger booger booger booger booger booger! Drink up Drakey poo!" Pansy seemed satisfied with her punishment of him, and before Draco downed another beer, he marveled at the fact that she wasn't biting his face off… literally. Pansy had big teeth.

"Biter!" Draco randomly shouted at her.

"What? Where did that come from?"

"Oh don't act like you don't know!"

"Ha ha, I think you've had enough mate. I'll walk you back to your room." Blaise laughed at his obliterated friend. Maybe they had gone a little overboard with the booger talk.

"Wanna know something funny, Blaisini?" Draco slurred out, as Zabini walked him up the stairs towards his own dorm. He would have left him to sleep on the couch in the Slytherin common room, but he didn't know if that would have been safe in the morning when Pansy's buzz wore off.

"Sure, what's funny?"

"Grangies gonna be my wrench!"

"Your what?

"My wrench! For Halloween…We betted and I won so she's gotta be my wrench in a pirate costume."

"A wench you mean? Well I'd like to see that."

"I have a sword."

"Err… I'm sure you do mate… Do you remember where your room is?"

"Yes."

"Ok, so where is it?"

"I dunno."

"Fine… then have a good night!" Blaise knew they were on the right floor because he had seen Draco leave that way on numerous occasions, but he didn't know exactly where or how to get into the head room. He had about as much of his dear friend as he could take, and figured the drunk would make it back eventually, or pass out in the corridor. Either way, he was tired and Victoria looked really good in the tight black turtleneck she was wearing. The extra cover made him want to see what was underneath all the more, and he took one last look at his drunk friend who was now sauntering down the hall and humming, before heading back to his dorm to work his magic on the hot fifth year.

"I can't believe it.." Ron repeated for the millionth time since the end of the game. "I just can't believe it." Ron was definitely upset by the outcome of the game, but he was nothing compared to Harry, who was just sitting in a chair, staring into the fire. He hadn't said anything since he returned to the common room. Hermione had gone to the locker room after the game to try to comfort him, but she couldn't get in, even when she tried the 'alohomora' charm. Over two hours later the Gryffindor seeker had walked through the portrait hole. Ginny ran over to hug him but he brushed her off and kept going, with a blank, dead sort of look in his eyes. It was now past midnight, and Hermione didn't know how much more she could take of Ron's muttering and Harry's comatose state. She wanted to leave but a part of her felt guilty. She knew the bet was just more of an incentive for Malfoy to want to win, and she was sure if Ron or Harry found out about it, they would blame the loss on her. She thought if she could do or say something to get them out of their mood it would take some weight off her conscience, but so far her efforts were met with no avail.

"It's not like you are out of the running for the cup, it's only the first game! Besides, it's just quidditch, it's not the end of the world." That was definitely the wrong thing to say…

"Just leave it, will you?" Ginny shot at her. "You're the only one not on the team, and you don't understand anything about quidditch. You shouldn't even be here right now, because you really aren't helping." Hermione couldn't believe how harsh Ginny was being towards her, and she looked to her boyfriend for some support. Ron was too busy purposefully staring at his hands to stick up for her, so she grabbed her bag in a huff and stormed off towards her own room. Muttering "Thanks a lot, Ronald," under her breath.

Once she reached the peace and quiet of her dormitory, she slipped into an overlarge t-shirt and plaid flannel shorts, grabbed her toiletries, and headed to the bathroom. After she brushed her teeth, she stood at the mirror and really looked at herself for the first time. Her hair looked calmer than she remembered it being, and framed her face with loose curls. Her skin wasn't bad, but her eyebrows could definitely use a serious hair removal charm. She had thick dark eyelashes, even without mascara, but her eyes looked tired and sad. She slumped away back to her room, slipped into the bed before she even realized how tired she was, and soon let sleep overtake her.

Not even an hour later, Hermione awoke to muffled sounds that seemed to be coming from the bathroom. She grumbled sleepily as she sat up, trying to make out the noises through the thick wooden door. She figured it was Malfoy, and was just about to tell him off for being so obnoxious and loud so late at night, when he hit a particularly high note, and she heard a crash. The wailing, high pitched whatever he was doing, worried her that he was in pain, and she quickly got out of bed and moved to the bathroom to investigate. Behind the door was not a pretty sight.

"Yo Hoo, Yo Ho a pirates life fer meeee. I cut something and drink and drink and something something Yo ho! Arrrrr!"

Draco Malfoy was dancing in front of the mirror, brandishing his wand like a sword and singing. His 'sword' had already caused the towel rack to fall off the wall, and if he wasn't careful, that wouldn't be the only thing he broke. Every time he struck a pose and pointed his 'sword' at an invisible enemy, more sparks would fly out. Hermione was torn between falling to the floor and laughing, and falling to the floor in shock at what she was witnessing.

"Blast ye maiden to the plank with you!"

"Have you gone completely mental, or are you just completely drunk?"

"Dunk!? I don't know the meaning of the word!" Malfoy looked so ridiculous standing in front of her with his wand held out and one eye squinted shut, Hermione was almost at a loss for words.

"So the shock of actually winning a match did completely unhinge you. I figured as much since you rarely win at anything." It was the first thing she could think to say, but she immediately regretted it. She didn't want to remind him of the win and what it entailed, but it was too late.

"That's not the only thing I win if you rember corrrestly, Grangie. You gotta be my wenchie. Grangie the wenchie… I like the sound of that." He said stumbling towards her and pressing her against the wall. "I like that a lot." He whispered in her ear. She could smell strong alcohol on his breath, and moved her hands to his shoulders to push him off of her. She only pushed lightly, but he stumbled backwards and she had to grab him around the waist to keep him from falling over. Once he was settled, they both stared at each other for a moment, before Draco let out one last feeble "Arr," and Hermione lost it. She started cracking up laughing and put her hand back around his waist to lead him to his room. It was semi awkward leading a grown man who was almost a foot taller than her, and him swaying and stumbling didn't help. She got him to lean against the edge of the bed before she removed her hand.

"How on earth did you get this way, Malfoy?"

"Fuckin boogers."

"Right…. Well goodnight then."

"Wait Hermynin, you want me to sleep in the air?" He asked her in disbelief. She supposed he meant standing up, but she didn't see any reason why he couldn't get himself into bed. Although, sleeping upright would be a pretty good punishment for him getting so drunk in the first place. She didn't like that he was setting a bad example as Head Boy, and would be sure to tell him off for it in the morning when he would remember. She was also slightly touched at his attempt to say her first name, but she was sure that it was just because of the alcohol, so she wasn't about to give him too much credit.

"Just climb up, it's not that hard, even if you are intoxicated."

"You do it first."

"I am not getting into your bed, just being in your room is bad enough." She didn't understand why she was even still standing there and listening to his drunken babble. Perhaps it was because he seemed so helpless and pathetic, and she always was the motherly type.

"Just get into your ruddy bed so I can get in mine."

"Just get in mine so I can get in mine." He was giving her that Malfoy evil smirk again, and there was something about it that got to her. His hair was messed up and his eyes were unfocused, but something stirred within her as they stared at each other. She hated that he could look so handsome even when he had done something she definitely didn't approve up, and now he was acting like a complete idiot/mental patient. She threw her hands up in defeat and climbed up into his bed, making her way over to the opposite side so she wouldn't be close to him. He climbed into the bed after her as if he was scaling a steep mountain, with exaggerated grunts and breaths.

"Tell me a bedtime story." He told her while he was wrestling with the covers; trying to pull them up over himself while he was sitting on them. It wasn't working, but he didn't give up.

"You have got to be joking me." He was acting like such a child, and she couldn't believe what she was hearing. This was worse than the time in third year when he faked an injury from Buckbeak and made Harry his personal slave in potions class. There was no way she was going to give in to his petty needs.

"If you don't tell me one I'll tell you one and you won't like it." He said in one breath while taking a deep yawn. He had finally given up on the comforter, and was now lying on his side so he could watch her.

"I'm sure you're right, you have no imagination or sense of humor and I generally don't enjoy anything that comes out of your mouth." She replied, about to get up to head back to her own room.

"Ugh, you are sooooo mean. I've been nice. Maybe you haven't noticed but I haven't called you a mudbloody in like a million years, not even once." Hermione stopped in her tracks and thought back. Now that he mentioned it, she couldn't recall him calling her a mudblood at all this year, even before they had started 'getting along.'

"No.. but I'm sure you have behind my back."

"Nope."

"Why not?" Hermione asked skeptically. She didn't see any reason for him to stop calling her that foul name, and she couldn't believe she hadn't noticed before.

"Because I promised..." He replied sleepily, snuggling into his pillow and curling up into the fetal position.

"Promised who?" She asked softly, but there was no reply. Hermione didn't understand his response at all, but as he was now passed out, there was no hope of getting a real answer from him. She got off his bed and looked over his sleeping form. She watched his body shiver slightly, and grabbed the end of the comforter, to fold it over him. She even tucked it in around him, like her mom used to do for her. She watched the blanket rise and fall with his soft breathing, his lips slightly parted, and eyes gently closed. She was subconsciously moving towards him, reaching out to touch his soft hair. Their lips were inches apart, she was taking in his potent breath, and it was intoxicating her. Their proximity was stirring strange feelings… was it, familiar almost? That didn't make sense. Never mind that, this whole situation didn't make any sense! And Hermione Granger was a very sensible girl, but here she was, about to kiss the enemy while he slept. Wanting and needing to kiss him… she was just as pathetic as he was. If not more so because she was the sober one, Malfoy at least had an excuse for his ridiculous behavior. She reluctantly tore herself away from him, and fled to her room, leaving his door open incase he needed to make a quick trip to the toilet.

Sounds of projectile vomit hitting the porcelain bowl broke the still morning silence.

"Ugh… I'm dying…" Malfoy groaned, trying to open his eyes into the bright sun. "And I'm blind… make it stop… " More vomiting was heard and Malfoy groaned in pain. Small flashes of his previous night were coursing through his head, making him feel even sicker. He recalled taking more and more shots to show off for his friends, and ending the night dancing in front of Granger like a pirate. 'I'm never drinking again.'

His mouth was dry, and he stumbled towards the sink, his eyes squinted against the sharp light of the room. All proper etiquette forgotten, he ducked his head down to the faucet and drank straight from the tap. Letting the water sooth his sore throat and settle in his stomach before more retching sounds littered the air.

"Granger? Is that you?"

"Oh bugger off, Malfoy." Something about the word 'bugger' made the hung over man shudder, as he stepped nearer to the small room that housed the loo.

"Sympathy vomit?" He asked her with amusement, just thankful it wasn't him hugging the toilet.

"I must have ate something…. Not agreeing with me…." She mumbled out miserably before ducking her head down for another go. Malfoy watched in horror as she emptied her guts once again. Her face was sweaty and her eyes were tearing up. He couldn't watch any more and he went back to the main area of the bathroom and started pacing, uncomfortably listening to Hermione get sick again. He grabbed a washcloth and ran it under the cold water, rung it out, and went to hand it to her. She looked up at him with questioning and watery eyes, and took it with a shaking hand. "I think that was the lot of it," she panted out, dabbing her face. She flushed the toilet, and stood up slowly, feeling like she was the one who had drank themselves into oblivion instead of Malfoy.

"This is so unfair! You probably drank more alcohol last night than I've ever even seen, and I'm the one emptying my stomach contents and then some. You…. You suck!" She finished lamely, exhausted from the repetitious heaving.

"There's no need to yell! I can't help it that I am so perfect I don't even vomit. I am a man, and I know how to hold my alcohol. You probably just had a bad dream about the Weasel and it made you ill. It's completely understandable." He hoped he was right and that thinking of herself and the gangly redhead was making her sick, because it definitely grossed him out. He didn't like to think about them being together if he could help it, and luckily the most he had seen them do was hold hands and hug. He had heard of morning sickness though, and wondered if it was early enough to start. She wasn't showing any other signs of the pregnancy that he could tell, and he considered that maybe she was right and was just sick from something she had eaten. There was nothing he could do about it at the moment, he just had to let nature take its course as time progressed.

"Yes, you hold your alcohol so well that you were prancing about like a little pansy boy playing pirate. You should have seen yourself, it was the funniest thing I've witnessed since the amazing bouncing ferret." She replied with a sneer that could have rivaled Malfoy himself. She knew that one hit below the belt, but she didn't feel very well and it seriously annoyed her that he didn't seem that affected by his partying antics the night before. She did nothing to deserve having to hug the toilet all morning. It should have been him.

"Watch it Granger. If I do recall, you will be joining the 'funniest things' category on Halloween when you are dressed in the skimpy little garment I ordered a week ago and serving me drinks like my own personal house elf." He retorted in a hardened voice, instantly turned on the defensive side by her ferret comment.

"Why would you have ordered it a week ago? You didn't win until last night."

"Your point?" He smirked at her, before returning to his room. He heard the shower turn on and the click of the door locking. Waiting for him on his nightstand was a black sinister looking eagle owl. He tore off the letter it was carrying and searched for his wand to undo the secrecy spell. He found it tucked under his pillow and tapped it to the yellowed paper. He groaned when he realized the letter was once again from his father, not that he was really surprised, as no one else had written to him.

Draco,

I hope by now you have accomplished your task.

I would like you to send word of who you got to do

the deed. Don't forget that I have spies at Hogwarts

who will verify your statement. If I find out you have

failed in any way or are not being entirely truthful,

you will pay dearly. I expect your reply immediately,

my owl will not leave until he has your answer.

-Your father

Draco let the horror wash over him. He hadn't even thought about the task he was set since he had read his father's last correspondence. He threw himself on his bed, thinking hard about what he could possible say. Granger was obviously not having sex with anyone. She hardly touched her boyfriend, and he was sure he wasn't the only one to notice. Plus he would have heard them at it her seeing as her bedroom was hardly ten feet away from his. However, he was the only one who did have access to her living quarters. Even his father's supposed spies couldn't see or hear what he did. He could just lie and claim that he heard them through the door. He was unable to think of any better plan at the moment, and he wanted to get rid of the creepy black bird as soon as possible. He grabbed a quill and parchment and hurriedly scribbled a response.

Father,

Granger is happily fucking the Weasel; I've heard

them at it for the past month. I believe she is trying

to keep the relationship a secret, but I am positive that

it is true. Do not doubt me, I will make you and the

Dark Lord proud. I will not fail.

He couldn't think of how to sign it, so he just tied it to the owl as it was, and watched it fly off out the window. He desperately hoped his lie would work, because he knew what his father and Voldemort could do to him, and he was more than a little worried.

After a quick hot shower, Malfoy headed out to catch the last of breakfast. He was having a craving for the greasiest food he could find, but stopped when he saw Hermione laying on the couch in a bathrobe with wet hair in a messy bun on top her head, which was immersed in a large, old, boring looking book.

"One week Granger. Start counting down the days." She didn't look up, but he knew she had heard her. One more week until he got to see her long slender legs, and her tight stomach, hidden only by some skimpy fabric. He had to close his eyes to try to stem the flow of lusting emotions. This was one of the few mornings he hadn't had to deal with an erection, and he didn't want to spoil the rare occasion.

When he arrived at the Great Hall, he spotted his friends, who sported red hung over eyes just like himself.

"Have a good night, mate?" Blaise asked him, once he had sat down and piled his plate with bacon and sausage.

"Funny Zabini, thanks for leaving me to fend for myself when I couldn't even see straight." Draco replied, stuffing his face with the grease covered pieces of heaven.

"I knew you'd get back eventually. I figured you would have to give a little goodnight kiss to your lover."

"Myself? I do things to myself, but kissing is not one of them."

"To Granger you drunk fool, you confessed it last night." Draco looked at each one of his friends. They were all smirking knowingly at him, and Pansy was giving him a look of death. They must have misheard, there was no way he would ever let that slip.

"Yeah right, I wouldn't say that because it isn't true. You guys must have been even drunker than I was to imagine something as farfetched as that." They were still staring at him with those smug looks on their faces. How could he have been so stupid as to let something that important slip out?

"Well it isn't true. I don't even remember saying it so as far as I am concerned, I didn't." He mustered up the evilest glare his could, and shot it at his friends. Blaise just chuckled and returned to his breakfast. He missed it when his friends were scared of him, what ever happened to those days? He couldn't take it anymore and his head was pounding. He collected more bacon on his plate, and took it out of the hall, angrily stuffing his face. 'Stupid Granger and her stupid sexy body haunting my dreams and making me say ridiculous things to my friends.' He wandered the hallways, clutching his precious bacon until he couldn't procrastinate any longer. He returned to his common room to find Granger exactly where he had left her.

"One week Granger…"


	14. Chapter 14

As the end of the week approached, Hermione was both relieved and apprehensive. She was completely exhausted from the grueling week of classes, and being sick didn't help the situation. Each morning was the same; she awoke feeling nauseated, rushed to the wastepaper basket in the corner of her bedroom, and puked her guts out. She even tried not eating dinner the night before, but somehow her body found what little food she had in her and evacuated it forcibly. After the fourth day of it, she decided to see Madame Pomfrey, who told her she probably just had a nervous stomach, and gave her a calming draught. She also said she looked a little pale, and gave her some vitamins to take as well. Hermione took note of the differences in the school nurse on her visit. Formerly, she was sure she would never have gotten out of the infirmary without so much as a test, physical, or order that she was to stay overnight. Not that the potions didn't help, but she was still left feeling worn out and sluggish. She felt a little let down, seeing as the school nurse could cure anything from regrowing bones to broken skulls, and Hermione probably just had the flu. It seemed as if 'Poppy' was taking the loss of the Headmaster very hard, which just added more merit to Hermione's hypothesis that the two had been an item. She didn't have the heart to return to the infirmary and tell the old woman her treatment wasn't entirely effective.

Ginny had apologized for her rudeness the day after the match, and after the demanding week of classes, even Harry and Ron had recovered from the loss. Well almost, Harry's face turned to stone and his fists automatically clenched whenever Malfoy was in the vicinity, his already strong hatred of the blonde Slytherin increasing tenfold.

Hermione's three best friends, along with the rest of the school, were all excitedly chatting about the Halloween party, while her stomach churned every time it was mentioned. She couldn't even bring herself to open the package that arrived by owl at breakfast two days after the match. She had grabbed it and left the Great Hall, ignoring the questioning looks she was getting from the Gryffindors, to stash the small box in her room. There it lay, thrown unceremoniously into the corner of her dorm, now covered with books that accumulated over the week.

The last class of the week arrived all too soon. Hermione sat and stared at the clock, dreading the ring of the final bell, as she watched the minute hand tick ever nearer to the 12 with drooping eyelids. Malfoy was humming to himself next to her as he finished up his work, in an uncharacteristically good mood that couldn't even be broken by the difficult potions assignment. The final bell rang, rousing Hermione from her stupor, and the class packed up their things to start the weekend. Malfoy stood up, still humming in a sickeningly happy fashion, but didn't head for the door right away.

"Better get a move on Granger, you don't want to keep your incredibly good looking, intelligent, good looking date waiting." He said, smirking at her more with his eyes than his lips, as he watched her pack up in slow motion. The rest of the students had jumped out of their seats at the sound of the bell, eager to get ready for the Halloween party.

"That's funny, last I checked my date was a complete horse's ass," she retorted, shuffling her feet towards the door and stifling a yawn. She was hugging her books to her chest and leaning on them as if they were keeping her head on straight. Draco had to chuckle at her childish posture, while the gears in his brain worked overtime to think of a clever comeback.

"Sorry I couldn't hear that over the sound of your hair getting bushier." 'That was original… not' he thought to himself.

"That's because horses' asses don't have ears," she replied coolly, in a know-it-all air reminiscent of their first few years at school.

"Ooo, someone sure knows a lot about horses' asses, spend some time in one recently? Personally I prefer Barcelona or Majorca for vacation spots, but to each his own." 'Much better.' Although that one earned him a swift kick to the shins, and Hermione turned on her heels to head for her common room, leaving Malfoy at the door to the classroom, shaking his finger at her in a reprimanding fashion. She hurried off to her room, hoping to have time to relax before Ginny showed up and they got ready for the party together. Unfortunately, the littlest Weasley was already waiting for her, carrying a huge bag full of makeup and a large grin. It was going to be a long night…

"I look so bloody fucking ridiculous. I can't do this Gin." Hermione groaned while pulling at the short skirt of her Halloween costume and fussing with the corset.

"Oh shush you look hot! I swear my brother will be forever in debt to Malfoy after this, I just can't believe he convinced you to wear it."

"Like I said, I didn't order anything because I couldn't pick one out, and this one came with Malfoy's pirate costume. I just didn't realize that it was so revealing." The Head Girl replied, nervously adjusting herself, and hoping Ginny fell for her little white lie.

"That isn't very like you Hermione, the party was your idea. Why wouldn't you order your own costume, and since when do you listen to Malfoy?" Ginny was shooting her a penetrating and suspicious gaze, and Hermione was quickly caving. She hated lying to her friends and figured she should have at least come up with a better excuse if she was going to convince the fiery redhead.

"Errr… if I tell you the real reason will you promise to not make a big deal about it?"

"Yes… unless it is a big deal. Spill." Ginny ordered, crossing her arms and tapping her foot impatiently.

"Well… me and Malfoy kind of made a bet on the outcome of the match… and Gryffindor lost so… "

"You can't be serious! Since when are you on good enough terms to be making bets with that scum?"

"I didn't think I could lose! Malfoy was going to dress up as the scarecrow if I won, it was too good to pass up. It doesn't mean we are friends or anything, he's still a prat most of the time."

"Most of the time? Last I checked Malfoy was a prat ALL of the time."

"Please… don't make this worse for me than it already is. I just want tonight to go as smoothly as possible. Which means… do you think you could tell Ron and Harry you helped me pick this out?"

"On one condition… you have to let me do your makeup, and you have to stop fidgeting. You look really pretty, don't be so self conscious."

"But I am going to look like a fool. I might as well just show up in my undergarments for all the good this thing is doing me."

"Oh just you wait until you see the other girls. You will fit right in don't worry."

"Well that just makes it all worthwhile, doesn't it? I'm finally going to fit in… whipdi-freakin-do! ERR this stupid costume doesn't fit right, half my boobs are falling out the top, and I hardly have boobs!" Hermione was hastily attempting to stuff herself into the tight fitting top, but she wasn't accomplishing anything except making herself even more frustrated.

"If by hardly you mean huge! Look at those things 'Mione. If I didn't know you, I'd think you gave yourself an engorgement charm. Over summer you weren't even half my size... no offense or anything. Now you could easily share my bras and then some." Ginny was eyeing Hermione, her eyes scanning up and down her body, and it was making the brunette slightly uncomfortable.

"Maybe that's why they've been so sore lately. I've been having to hug my books to my chest when I walk down stairs to keep them from bouncing because it hurts so much." She was now checking out her reflection with interest, trying to decide if Ginny was right or not. She could definitely see some difference, but it was exaggerated by the bustier, which made them appear to be spilling out and over the top. If Gryffindor would have just won the match, she would be happily putting on her conservative Dorothy costume, looking forward to how ridiculous Malfoy was going to look dressed as the scarecrow. Instead she was seriously considering throwing herself down a flight of stairs and spending the night in the infirmary.

"Yeah, could be." Ginny replied offhandedly, not thinking too much of it. "Let me change real quick, then we can start the makeover. You better be here when I get out of that bathroom!"

"Oh you know me… I would never miss a makeover." Ginny just rolled her eyes in a very Hermione-ish way at the clearly sarcastic comment, and grabbed her costume to change.

"Just for that, your eyebrows are getting it too."

When Ginny was finally satisfied with her work, or just afraid that if she did anything else Hermione would curse her into the next century, she went back to her own common room to meet Harry and Ron. After Hermione insisted that Ron also have a date, he had asked Padma Patil to go as friends, and surprisingly she had said yes. Technically Ginny was going to the party with Ernie Macmillan, and Harry with Susan Bones if anyone said anything. The two Hufflepuffs were also a couple, so they could just switch dates easily if it was necessary. However, with the Head Girl as their best friend Ginny figured they'd be in the clear, so she walked down to the dungeons with her boyfriend and brother in tow, excited for the night to begin.

Hermione had to go down to the dungeons early with the rest of the prefects and the Head Boy, for some last minute party preparations. She was almost out the door when nerves got the best of her, and she grabbed her cloak and fastened it securely around her neck.

"That wasn't part of the deal," a drawling voice spoke lazily from the couch. Hermione stopped dead halfway down the stairs, wondering how he could see what she was wearing, when only the top of a feathered hat was visible to her over the back edge of the sofa. She watched as he turned around in his seat to meet her eyes, which were shooting daggers at him.

"It wasn't not a part of the deal," she replied coyly. "I am wearing the costume, and it will probably be cold down in the dungeons. I don't see why I can't wear a cloak," she said, crossing her arms as she glared down at him, only making his grin widen as the gesture pushed up her breasts that were already overflowing out the top.

"Well I do, and I won the bet. If you don't want me to take serious advantage of the other part of our deal I would remove the cloak like a good little wench." They stood in silence, Malfoy grinning and Granger scowling. It seemed as if neither was about to back down, until Hermione threw her hands up in defeat and huffed up the stairs back to her room. When she returned to the common room she was without cloak, but in a foul mood, and Draco almost wished he didn't say anything.

"After you," Draco said in a mock gentlemanly tone, holding the portrait open for her, as she angrily stalked past him. With each step she took, her skirt bounced just high enough for Malfoy to get a glimpse of her black satin knickers, which were unusually covering, like skintight shorts. He figured he would get more than a dirty look if he asked her to take those off as well, and subconsciously covered his manhood, keeping his mouth shut.

All the way down to the dungeons Hermione wrung his ear with complaints and instructions for his behavior at the party. Malfoy wasn't really paying attention. He was too busy staring at her lips, looking like sweet candy from the hint of sheer pink tinted lip-gloss. Her eyes looked more open than he recalled them being, showing off their perfect almond shape and deep brown depths, and accented with her thick black lashes. Her hair was hanging down in messy waves, giving her a windswept appearance, but it suited her. Draco didn't know if slick perfectly done up hair would be fitting on her; he actually found the full volume and carefree 'just rolled out of bed' look to be quite sexy. She didn't wear the thigh high stockings he knew came with her costume. Instead she left her legs bare, but they were so smooth it almost appeared as if she were wearing nude nylons. She wasn't wearing stiletto heels like most girls would with that sort of costume, but Mary Jane style, black flats. With her long slender legs she was able to pull it off without looking stubby or frumpy. She looked like Hermione, just decked out in Draco's fantasy world. Well a small part of his fantasy world, as she was naked in most of his better dreams.

Hermione immediately took charge once they arrived at the party site, making sure everything was perfect, right down to the last tiny detail. With help from the professors, they had created a 'haunted' maze from the deepest part of the dungeons, which were already creepy enough to be an attraction in themselves. They had one room dedicated to witches and wizards that were of age, where they were allowed to serve alcoholic punch, and socialize with other students in their year. They also had a room for the younger students to play games and just have a good time with each other, in a much more controlled and supervised area. They were going to have a costume contest and then send the first through fourth years to bed, while the older students were allowed to stay at the party until it died out, which they figured would be around 3am.

When the rest of the student body arrived, Hermione's nerves that had momentarily took a backseat to her Head Girl duties, started to get the best of her. She hung off to the side, waiting for her friends to arrive, covering herself as much as she could with her arms. She felt the stares of the costume clad arrivals, but was relieved to see that most of the girls were sporting outfits very similar to her own. Finally spotting the luminous red hair of the two Weasleys and the disheveled locks of the Boy Who Lived, she left her spot against the wall with the other anti-socialites, to try to make the best of the party. After all, she had put a lot of work into it, and she liked to think of herself as mature enough to not let something like a silly Halloween costume that wasn't exactly her style, ruin her night.

"Wow Hermione, you look erm… nice," Ron sputtered out, his eyes wide, clearly shocked at her appearance.

"Thanks, you look nice too. Err… what are you exactly?" She asked, staring at his oddly shaped silver ensemble.

"I'm supposed to be a chick magnet, it was Padma's idea. She is the chick. I thought it was stupid," he trailed off, staring at the floor and blushing.

"Where is Padma anyways?" She said trying to change the conversation before Ron's face started on fire from embarrassment, or she burst out laughing, whichever came first.

"I dunno I was supposed to meet her here, but I think she's seeking revenge on me for the Yule Ball."

"She's probably just running late, c'mon, I'll give you a tour of the other rooms." Hermione led Ron, Harry and Ginny around the dungeons, showing off the decorations she had been working on for the past month. Somewhere around the punch bowl, she lost Harry and Ginny, and she and Ron were left alone. They managed to make small talk for a while, even though Hermione did most of the talking.

Everything was going smoothly, and she was actually enjoying herself in spite of being out in public with less on than what she wore to bed. She was dancing with her friends on a fog strewn dance floor/cleared out classroom covered in enchanted smoke. Malfoy hadn't really said anything to her all night, or even ordered her to retrieve his drinks, although she could feel his eyes on her from time to time. At the moment it was her watching him over the shoulder of her boyfriend as they danced to a slow tune she didn't recognize. He was whispering into Victoria's ear, and the pretty but overdone girl was giggling and blushing at his words. Hermione's eyes were narrowed and fists were clenching around Ron's shoulders as she watched the exchange.

"Is something wrong?" Ron had stopped dancing when he felt her tense up, and was now looking down at her with concern in his eyes. Hermione snapped her gaze away from the blonde to look up at the man in front of her.

"Err… no not at all. It's just that I was supposed to go check on the maze 10 minutes ago to make sure no one is lost inside. It shouldn't take long." She thought that was a pretty good excuse, seeing as they really did have to take a walk through to maze to make sure no one was lost or snogging in the dark corridors.

"Alright, I'll probably be by the punch bowl, trying to drag Harry away from it. He's going to be wasted before I even get my first drink, he hasn't left the bowl since we got here."

"I'm sure Ginny won't let him, and if she does I will definitely stop him. McGonagall let us drink as a privilege for being of age, and I don't think we should be taking advantage of it."

"Calm down, I'm sure Harry's behaving. Just be quick."

"I will," Hermione told him, hurrying away to go interrupt Malfoy and Victoria's little chat. Draco saw her coming out of the corner of his eye, and flipped his hair back and combed his fingers through it, before returning the black pirate hat to his head. He quickly glanced at her to see her expression. She was rolling her eyes at him… not exactly the reaction he was going for.

"Ah, Granger… Come to fulfill your wenchly duties?" He asked her with a sneer, leaning back in his seat casually.

"No, I've come to tell you to do yours. It's about time we did our walk through the maze." She was trying to look only at Draco while she spoke, and ignore the makeup queen beside him. She couldn't help but to notice the skimpily clad wannabe Hawaiian girl when the girl was placing her flowered leis around Malfoy's neck. She saw little love bites and hickies along the girl's collarbone that could have easily been covered with a concealment charm or just some makeup. It seemed as if Victoria wanted to show them off, and Hermione couldn't figure out if that was why she was gritting her teeth in anger, or because of whom she figured made those marks.

"Well I think you should get me a drink first… and make it snappy."

"And what if I don't?" She asked testily. He was not going to make her look like his little slave, especially not in front of the slut of Slytherin.

"It's your funeral… bad things happen to people who back out on a wizard's bet," he said with an evil smirk on his face, getting up to stand in front of her. She didn't say anything, just glared at him, and headed off to get him his bloody drink.

When she returned she had two drinks in hand. She gave one to Malfoy, and raised the other one to her lips, before it was rudely snatched from her grasp.

"How nice of you to get me two," he said as he downed them both in succession. "That was really refreshing, seriously hit the spot, you should have gotten one for yourself." There was no way he was going to let her drink their child into the next Neville Longbottom, but that didn't mean he couldn't taunt her about it.

"Ugh… you're such a pig. I think I can check the maze by myself thanks."

"You really think I'd let you go by yourself, when going along will give me all that alone time to annoy the hell out of you?"

"Why waste your time with me when it could be spent snogging Victoria? Or could she not fit you in her busy schedule tonight? Aww poor little ferret," she said patting his shoulder, with an over exaggerated pouty lip and an attempt at sad puppy dog eyes. She then wiped away an invisible tear, and started to laugh.

"Oh shut up," was all he could say, and he playfully punched her in the arm to end the little quarrel.

"Ok, so here's the map, all the dots are people in it. We just have to follow the red line to the end. So err… we'll go right at the first intersection, or maybe left will be better?" She was holding the map like a steering wheel in front of her, and turning it every which way. It didn't have even a small portion of the information that the Marauder's Map had, so she didn't understand why she was having such difficulty reading it.

"Oh give me that, map reading is a man's job after all."

"Actually, real men don't need maps, they keep it all up here," she stated knowingly, tapping her finger to her head.

"Don't pretend to know what real men are like, last I checked you were dating the Weasel King."

"Weasel King or not, his real manliness wipes the floor with you. You probably cry just from getting dirt under your fingernails."

"Don't talk about what you don't understand Granger… If you don't want to use the bloody map." He ripped it in half. "We won't," in quarters "Use," into eighths, "The bloody," in sixteenths, "Map." He threw the pieces over his head and proceeded to the entrance of the maze, Hermione on his heels, scolding him for ruining her map.

Over half an hour later, they were still wandering around aimlessly in the darkness, broken only by the thin strips of light issuing from the tips of their wands. The maze should have only taken twenty minutes to get through for the average student, and the two Heads helped build the damn thing. Hermione was repetitively blaming Draco for being lost, while he stood his ground with the fact that she was the one who said they didn't need a map. They hadn't met anyone except a boggart in an enchanted glass case that couldn't be broken except by the one who created it, A.K.A professor McGonagall. The boggart turned into a tall figure with long glistening white-blonde hair, but Malfoy grabbed Hermione's wrist and quickly led her away before she could catch more than a glimpse of it.

"You know if I was a regular old student, and there was a party with a dark maze like this, I would be snogging the shit out of some girl in it. It's so creepy; it's kind of hot actually. Like if you didn't have a little halo around your head and a chastity belt covering your knickers, you would totally want me right now."

"You disgust me, besides, isn't it Victoria's chastity belt that you want in? Well actually, I highly doubt she has one, or that she even wears underwear at all to be honest. She might be the one person in this school who has slept with more people than you have. Does that make you jealous, or just turn you on? I always found the mind of a whore very fascinating." She was trying to cram as many hurtful things as she could think of about Victoria into one breath. She didn't know why the girl was bothering her so much at the moment. She had never really done anything to personally hurt Hermione, and yet the Head Girl wanted to pluck out every fake eyelash off the girl's face just thinking about her.

"Jealousy isn't a pretty color on you. Just because you can't even get your own boyfriend to touch you doesn't mean you can go around bad mouthing the ones who can."

"You don't know what goes on between us. For all you know me and Ronald do it three times a day."

"Yeah right, keep dreaming Granger."

"Humph" was all she could bring herself to say, as she moodily walked alongside the Slytherin pirate. They continued on in silence, stealing quick glances at each other occasionally, just to check if the other was still annoyed. They came upon an all too familiar fork in the road, and stopped.

"Ok we were definitely here already, last time we went right, so this time we should go left instead. Don't you think so? Malfoy?" She spun around on the spot, shining the dim light of her wand down each dark passageway. She was met with nothing but black wall. Starting to panic she took a few steps down the path to her left, before she heard muffled sounds coming from behind her.

"Granger run! It's a trap, get out of here! Get help!" Malfoy's voice cut the silent air like a knife. Hermione didn't need telling twice. Her wand held high, she ran full speed down the pathway, without a thought in her mind except finding McGonagall and having her get rid of the maze so they could save Malfoy. If something happened to him she didn't know what she would do. She blamed herself for them getting lost; if she hadn't made fun of Malfoy's manliness they would still have a map. She just hoped she could get out in time, but the maze seemed to be endless. She felt like she ran around in a circle five times before she finally saw the light at the end.

"Ron! There you are I've been looking everywhere for you! I guess your magnet finally worked," Padma Patil said winking at him. She was dressed in a feathery yellow dress, that was skin-tight and cut off high on her thigh. The bright yellow contrasted perfectly with her bronzed skin and dark hair, and Ron couldn't help but notice how attractive she was.

"Err.. Yeah I guess so, do you want a drink?" She nodded her head, and he poured the red punch into two cups and handed one to her. The two hung out in the room designated for the older students with Harry and Ginny, talking about whom they thought would win the costume contest. Ron didn't even realize how long they had been there, until Ginny asked about Hermione. Looking at his watch, he saw that she had already been gone over half and hour, and he left the group to go see if she was in another room. He walked around the dungeons for ten minutes without any luck. He was just about to give up when he saw a small group of Slytherins standing near the exit to the maze. Something about the way they were standing, as if they were waiting for something, made him suspicious that they were up to something. He casually stood off to the side to try and listen in on their conversation, without drawing attention to himself, since he was clearly outnumbered.

"Here she comes, that it one fast moving dot. Seriously genius idea, by the way," came the deep voice Ron knew was Blaise Zabini.

"I had to do something, it is Halloween after all."

"Shh! She's almost out, now get in front so she sees you before she can scream for a teacher." Ron watched as the Slytherins situated themselves, pushing one of their own to the front of the group. All he was able to make out was the top of a feathered hat, but he had a feeling he knew whom it belonged to, and he was cracking his knuckles in anger. Who cares if he would lose the fight, as long as he could get a few punches in, it would be worth it. His anger getting the best of him, he started to storm towards the group, but paused when he saw Hermione emerge from the maze.

"PROFESS-" She shouted once she reached the exit, panting heavily, and a light sweat beading on her forehead. She paused mid word and had to do a double take when her eyes adjusted to the light. Then she was able to comprehend who was in front of her. Draco Malfoy was laughing hysterically with his friends, holding a second map of the maze in his hands. Hermione was so incredibly pissed off at him, she couldn't even think of what to say. Her body was shaking in anger, like the tremors before a volcanic eruption.

"McGonagall gave us both maps of the maze, didn't you know?" He choked out between his laughter, leaning his hands on his knees for support. "You should have seen your face when you got out, it was priceless. Seriously I'll never forget this moment." He was happily taking in the pats on the back and applause from his friends. Part of him felt bad for the little stunt he pulled, but he hated that his friends knew his feelings about the Head Girl. He thought that if they could see him pull a prank on her, he might be able to regain some of his dignity.

All reason forgotten, Hermione stormed towards the man ahead of her, grabbed his face in her hands, and kissed him. Hard. It completely threw him off guard, but he recovered nicely and kissed her back, reaching his hands around her to pull her close to him. The room quieted as they watched the two, waiting in anticipation for when they would need to come up for air. They broke apart and stared at each other, utterly shocked by their actions.

"Come on Ronald, let's go back to my common room for some privacy." Her head held high, she stomped past the Head Boy, taking Ron's hand in hers as she led them out of the party. She would show Malfoy who couldn't get someone to touch them. She was so seething mad at him for his little trick, and not the least bit amused by it. In her opinion he had gone way too far, and made her seriously worry about his safety. That was not the kind of joke that should be played on someone, especially with the current situation of the war. She could not believe he could be so heartless, and she would find a way to seek revenge on him eventually. It would probably take some planning, since she couldn't do it in an obvious way and risk getting in trouble as well. For the time being, she decided to push him from her thoughts, and turn her attention to more pressing matters, like what she was going to do with her boyfriend once they got through the portrait hole.

"Ouch, that's rotten luck, mate." Blaise said, patting his friend on the back, trying to console Malfoy's quickly inflated then deflated ego.

"I.. I don't care. I still got her good. I need a drink."

"Your wench just left, but I guess I can get you one, in honor of your wicked burn on her." Blaise poured Malfoy a cup of punch, adding a little extra something from his pocket that he thought could help sooth the blonde a little quicker. The group of Slytherins hung around the alcohol bowl, reminiscing about all the times Malfoy got the best of one of the Gryffindors. It was helping him take the edge off a little, although flashes of Hermione's lips on the Weasel's kept popping up in his head, making him feel sick. He tried to ignore it as best he could, but as the party started to die down, he wanted nothing more than to leave it. Blaise and Victoria left early, and the company of Bullstrode, Goyle, and Pansy wasn't exactly thrilling him. Eventually, he shook off the pug-faced girl, to head back to his room, thinking of curses to use on Ron if he hadn't left yet.

Hermione led Ron to the couch by his freckled hand without saying a word. They sat down next to each other, and he moved to lean over her. He lightly kissed her cheek, before moving his wet lips closer to hers, and entering into another deep kiss. Their tongues explored each other's mouths as Hermione fell back against the smooth leather, laying underneath Ron's long and heavy body. His hand was on her hip, but he was slowly moving it upwards cautiously, as to not overstep any boundaries. He softly grazed the peak of her breast, and then gently laid his hand on it.

"You know.. we can stop if you want, do you?" he whispered out. She shook her head in response, wanting him to quit with the small talk and get down to business. She was longing to feel that spark, that passion she had always heard about. She didn't know at what point she would start to feel it, but decided in her head that they needed to continue. She wanted to prove to herself that Malfoy didn't know her at all. She took in a deep breath and moaned softly, like she knew she was supposed to, when Ron started to caress her breast through her costume. He placed soft kisses down her neck, stopping when he reached the swell of her bosom.

"Is… Is that ok?" he looked up at her and asked. She opened her eyes to meet his, Ginny's words swimming through her mind. She saw letters start to materialize on her boyfriend's forehead, spelling out "Beware of virgin" on his light skin. She snorted in laughter, but tried to cover it up with a cough. Ron wasn't fooled.

"Is something wrong?"

"No.. Well not exactly. It's just that, well… I just don't think I can do this. I want to more than you know; I just can't seem to get past us being friends. I really love you Ron, you and Harry are my family and you mean the world to me. Honestly, you don't know how hard this is for me to say." She immediately felt horrible once she saw the look in his face. She was hoping he felt the same way as she did, but his sad eyes were telling her otherwise.

"Oh… ok…. "

"Ron… please understand, I wanted this to work as bad as you did. I really care about you, I just think we were better off as friends," she said, pleading with him to grasp her feelings.

"So you led me on for two months because you care about me?!" He shouted at her, getting up from the couch and looking down at her with heated emotions on his now red face.

"Ron, we should talk about this. Just calm down, I am really sorry."

"Leave it." He glared at her one last time before stomping off towards to portrait hole, and slamming it shut behind him. Hermione just stared in his wake, as wet hot tears began to well up in her eyes. She was angry with herself, at her emotions, and her heart. She knew her and Ron were supposed to be the perfect couple. He was nice and funny, and had almost always stood by her side since the battle with the mountain troll, exactly seven years before. Why then did she feel nothing while kissing him? No butterflies in her stomach or shortness of breath; nothing. She let the tears flow freely down her cheeks and into her hands while she tried to make sense of her emotions. She heard the click of the portrait opening, and soft footsteps coming towards her, so she looked up eagerly, hoping Ron had returned to work things out. Instead her gaze fell upon the man she was completely livid with.

"This is not a good time. If I were you I would haul ass to your room right this instant before I curse you into the ugly ferret you are."

"I am so not ugly. Have you looked at this bone structure recently?" He saw her reach for her wand, and felt in his pocket for his, just in case. He noticed her tear stained cheeks, and immediately softened his tone. "What happened to you?" he asked her in what he thought was a very concerned sounding voice.

"None of your business, now leave!" She yelled at him, trying hard not to start crying again.

"Just tell me what happened between you and Weaselface, and I'll be on my way."

"Fine, we broke up. End of story. Now get the fuck out of my line of sight before I hurt you. Seriously, I don't even care about being Head Girl right now. To see you festering on the floor in agony would make losing my position all worth it. That was the most heartless, inhumane attempt at a prank I have ever heard of, and I will get you back for it."

"Honestly, it was just a joke; a little harmless Halloween fun. Now, you say you broke up with Weasel? Did you shake on it? You know, to make it official. Nothing in the wizarding world is official unless you shake on it. I guess you can get away with a break-up, I was talking more about bets and such. Night." He tipsily skipped towards the staircase that would lead him to his room, his body feeling light as air. He had gotten everything he wanted for Halloween. Granger and the poor boy were no more, he looked macho in front of his friends again, and now Hermione was sitting on the couch, trying to put his words together to discover the second brilliant prank he had pulled.

"MALFOY!!"

"Yes?" He spun around and looked down at her from the balcony, a look of feigned innocence on his face.

"You… how could you? The bet wasn't real!? You mean to tell me I dressed up in this ruddy costume and served you drinks, when it wasn't even a real bet!? You are seriously the biggest ASSHOLE EVER!"

"You act so surprised! Did you really think I would ever dress up as the your little sidekick in that costume that looked fit for a hobo? I take pride in my appearance thank you very much. Not shaking on it just insured that should I not catch the snitch, I would still win. You can tell me what a genius I am tomorrow, I need my beauty sleep."

"Oh, you are going to get it!"


	15. Chapter 15

Hermione was moody, worn-out, bloated, and her bladder and sweat glands seemed to be working overtime, but worst of all, she still hadn't gotten her revenge on Malfoy. It had been exactly one week and six days since the night of the party, and she felt as if she had gone through every book of hexes and jinxes she could get her hands on. As Head Girl she had free reign over the restricted section, so she had come across some pretty gruesome spells. Still nothing seemed fitting for the Slytherin prankster. Hermione was not going to give up until she found the absolutely perfect payback, which was why she was spending her Thursday night immersed in a copy of "Settle the Score, Or Start One- Curses for the Enemy." Sure she could make his precious blonde hair fall out, or his smooth fair skin erupt in boils, but she could do those things to anyone. Draco Malfoy needed something unique, something that would bring him down off his pedestal, and deflate his big head. After Hermione was done with him, she wanted him to beg her for forgiveness, she would accept his apology, and then they could go back to their acquaintanceship as if Halloween never happened.

Finding the "Curses for the Enemy" book to be quite useless, she grabbed at a random volume on the bottom shelf of the restricted section. She went back to her table in the far corner of the practically deserted library, to investigate the book she hoped would end her search. The faded red cover was so worn down from usage that she could hardly read the title. From what she could make out of the silver lettering, the book was called "Get Them Where it Hurts, and Begging for Mercy by Bedtime." Intrigued, she flipped through the yellowed pages, until an illustration caught her eye. It was a black and white sketch of a handsome man in all his glory, with an erection that looked as if it could pop off the page, and poke the reader's eye out if they got too close. Blushing scarlet, she quickly moved to turn the page, but found her fingers were betraying her. The naked man was so taboo and forbidden in her mind, and curiosity was taking over. The artist captured a mesmerizing look of pained lust on the man's face, and Hermione seemed to be caught in the trance. Finally tearing her eyes away, she looked at the page opposite the man, to see the curse associated with the drawing.

_Endless Erection_

_While the target is asleep._

_Hold wand firmly in hand._

_Whisper Duro infinito._

_When target awakes he will know nothing._

_Upon the first conscious sexual thought concerning the spell caster,_

_The victim will grow an endless erection,_

_That can only be relieved by the spell caster._

_Embarrassment and pain ensue,_

_But it will end there,_

_As long as curse is countered within twelve hours._

_Longer is not recommended,_

_And may result in extreme pain,_

_Loss off feeling in limbs,_

_And eventual death._

_Enjoy! _

Hermione snorted out loud at the thought of the Slytherin self-proclaimed sex god walking around all day with a raging hard on. She could just picture him stumbling down the halls, knocking over vases as screaming students ran away in fear. Even though she figured her brain was over exaggerating a little, trying to cover up an erection like a hormonal 14 year-old boy would definitely drop Malfoy's arrogance level a few notches. Plus, she would have to cast the counter curse, which she of course wouldn't do until he apologized profusely, and promised to never play another evil prank on her again. Maybe begging for mercy wouldn't be so bad either.

Scanning down the page again, her eyes paused on the line,' Upon the first sexual thought concerning the spell caster,' and her face fell. How was she supposed to get Malfoy to think of _her_ in a sexual way? Although she did notice him checking her out on Halloween, she figured that was just so he could find something about her appearance to use as an insult. Hermione wasn't the sort of girl to go out of her way to make boys look at her. However, desperate times called for desperate measures. She looked at her watch and saw that it was already one in the morning. She could either give up on the erection curse and look for a different one, or end her search now, get to sleep at an almost decent hour for once, and just have a little extra work to do. She let the long yawn she emitted decide for her, grabbed the shabby book, and headed to her room.

When she entered her dorm, a newfound energy washed over her at the prospect of what she was about to do. Pacing across the room with the book opened, she reread the page until she had it memorized. She then went to her dresser, pulled out the only thong she owned, which luckily happened to be black and lacy. Her muggle cousin had bought it for her birthday the year before, but it still had the tag on it. She ripped it off, then tiptoed through the bathroom and listened at the opposite door. She thought she could hear Malfoy's shallow breathing, so she slowly turned the handle and stuck her head through. Sure enough, the Head Boy seemed to be resting peacefully, hugging one of his pillows to his chest as if he was afraid it would be stolen in the night. She pointed her wand at him, and whispered the curse. She felt her wand vibrate under her fingers, but it didn't seem as if Malfoy had noticed anything, so she hoped it had worked. She then went back to her room to get some sleep, 'accidentally' dropping the panties on the bathroom floor on her way.

Draco awoke with a start the next morning, quickly bringing his hands to his hair and patting at his face. Not feeling anything out of the ordinary, he still jumped out of bed and rushed to the bathroom like he had every morning since Halloween. Looking at his reflection in the mirror, he saw he still had his blonde hair, and his skin was perfect as always. i 'Yup, still hot,' /i he thought, breathing a sigh of relief. He was impatiently awaiting Hermione's attempt to get him back, and now that they were at the two-week marker, he didn't know how much longer he could wait without going insane. _'Maybe that was her plan all along? Make me go insane with anticipation and not even bother to actually do something to me? That would be so typical. Ugh, I am going to put a stop to this!' _he thought as he huffed towards he door and knocked loudly.

"Granger! Enough is enough already!" he yelled through the door. Inside the bedroom Hermione squealed in delight, thinking her 'panty ploy' had been successful.

"What do you want, Malfoy?" she replied, trying to sound annoyed to hide her excitement.

"It is obvious that you will never come up anything even close to the kind of pranks I can pull off. Why don't we just call a truce? You can save yourself some embarrassment that way."

"What!!" she shrieked back, pulling open the door to find him practically up against it. "You're childish pranks can't compare with what I could do to you." Malfoy was taken aback when she was suddenly inches from him. She was dressed in loose fitting shorts that hung low on her waist, and a light purple tank top. Maybe he was imagining it, but he thought her stomach appeared to be protruding slightly. Her breasts looked full and round underneath the thin material, and his mouth hung open at the thought of what he wanted to do to them. Other parts of his body were also reacting to her ensemble, and he snatched at a towel on the counter top to cover himself.

"How rude! Barging in on me like that, I thought you learned your lesson the last time you caught me indisposed." he said, trying to hide the erection that seemed to be thoroughly aroused by the presence of the Head Girl.

"_You_ wanted to talk to _me_! And that should be the least of your problems, your cologne is…" she paused, feeling the sick rising in her throat. "Is…" She thought for a minute it was going to stay down. "Overpowering." She had barely gotten out the last word, when she couldn't hold it in any longer, and she vomited all over the front a stunned Draco. They both stared at each other for a moment, utterly dumbfounded.

"Ugh! That's disgusting!" Malfoy screeched when he was able to comprehend what had happened, the puke dripping off his shirt. He turned around to wash off in the sink, and slipped on a strategically placed pair of black panties. He fell flat on his back, completely winded, the smell of sick invading his nostrils.

"I'm sorry! Are you ok? I've got the flu or something. Oh I'm so sorry!" Hermione just stared at Malfoy, who seemed to be too shocked to get up from the floor. She felt even worse when she saw the only part of him that was sticking up, just like the curse had promised. Needing to do something, she went to retrieve her wand and pointed it at the motionless being on the floor.

"Puke on them, then curse them when they're down, that's not very Gryffindor-like of you," Malfoy scowled from the floor, his face contorted in pain and his eyes shut, as if that would make the vomit disappear.

"Not all of you is down," she replied with a smirk, not feeling quite so bad for throwing up on him anymore.

"Thanks for noticing."

"Oh, shut up."

"Maybe if you took your own advice I wouldn't be laying on the floor covered in the remains of last night's dinner," he shot back through gritted teeth.

"_Scourgify!_ There, now you can stop your whining, little girl. Maybe tomorrow morning you can take it easy on the bottle of cologne and we can skip the whole getting puked on thing."

"I haven't applied my very expensive designer cologne that usually makes girls throw their panties at me, not throw up on me, since yesterday morning," Malfoy replied, getting up gingerly and wondering how his erection survived a puke shower. "Speaking of panties…." He said, reaching down to pick up the small black garment from the floor. "These can't possibly be yours…these are… sexy! Surely _you_ don't own knickers like this?" he asked her in an astonished tone, holding the delicate piece out in front of him to examine it.

"As a matter of fact I do," she replied snottily, trying to snatch them from his grasp. He moved them high above her head and just out of reach, and could almost see the anger welling up inside her. Her prank was not going at all like she had planned. Malfoy was just supposed to see her knickers on the floor and think of her wearing them. Then he would get a boner for the whole day and come crawling back to her begging for forgiveness later that night. She was not supposed to be this close to him, or it, at any time until she countered the curse. Puking on him was not in the plan either, but he seemed to have gotten over that. Now if she could just get over being near him when he looked so good, her plan would be back on track. How was it possible for someone to not have one gram of fat on them? It seemed like he was completely made up of chiseled muscle covered by creamy white skin. She could feel her cheeks growing hot with arousal, not exactly the emotion she was going for. _"Thank heavens girls can't get erections, talk about embarrassing!'_ she thought, while giving Draco a look of death as he taunted her with her own knickers.

"You can have them back, if you wear them today," he said with a smirk, his eyes lighting up like they did whenever he was trying to get something he wanted.

"That's ridiculous, girls don't actually wear things like that, they're too uncomfortable."

"Then what do you suppose girls do with them? Have them for tea?"

"You know what I mean."

"Ok, so I'll just take these over to the Slytherin common room for tea this afternoon as a special show and tell item. You can go find some garment that you believe constitutes knickers to wear, or you could be a crazy rebel and wear these. They aren't only used for tripping your suitemate you know." Draco was thoroughly enjoying holding her panties captive. He felt strangely light headed and giddy, but that may have been because all his blood was rushing to his nether region. He really did need to take care of it soon before it started to become painful, but first he was going to get his way, like he always did with Hermione Granger.

"Fine I'll wear them, but only because I know that no matter how uncomfortable they are, you are going to feel worse today." She smirked at him knowingly, before plucking them from his hand and heading to her room.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh you'll see!"

Draco stared at her closed door for a minute, trying to figure out what she meant by her previous comment. _'Probably just more of her Granger mind tricks, I'm not falling for it,' _he thought, removing his clothes and starting up the shower. He stepped into the spray, careful not to trod on a haphazardly placed bar of soap or washcloth and fall for a second time. He let the hot water sooth his taught muscles and closed his eyes, trying to clear his mind. Instead, images of her came flooding through his head, causing him to involuntarily slide his hand downwards, across his slick wet abs, and grasp his hard length.

_She was walking towards him, adorned in a sheer lavender teddy, the flowing material billowing out behind her as she moved, splitting at the center, and exposing her smooth, slightly rounded stomach. Her whole body was glowing with an ethereal light, that seemed to be coming from within her._

He slid his hand slowly up and down, his grip soft but firm. The hot water and steam just added to the sensations, each drop that hit the sensitive head sent of bolt of electricity through to his core.

_She reached up her hand to rub her breast through the thin transparent material. He watched her nipple become hard to the touch. She squeezed it between her thumb and forefinger, looking up at him while she did so, with a mischievous glint in her eyes. Her other hand was sneaking its way downwards, towards her bare folds. 'Show me… I want to watch you…' she whispered._

"I'll… I'll show you.." he moaned out, his breath coming in pants as he quickened the pace of his pumping. His legs were starting to shake as the pressure built up inside him. The thin skin of his shaft was gliding smoothly along the hard insides, and he could feel it pulsing under his fingers. As he neared the brink of his orgasm, the pressure started becoming almost unbearable. His hand was frantically pumping up and down, the pressure reaching its peak as he felt his climax approach. He was so close, just a few more pumps should be enough to bring him over the edge… or maybe a few more….

Back inside her bedroom, Hermione was happily dressing for the last day of class before the weekend. She was humming cheerily to herself, listening to the soft noise of the shower in the background as she laid her robes across her bed. She was patiently awaiting the cry she knew would come when Malfoy realized what she had done. She even decided to try on the black lacy thong that had caused so much trouble already that morning. She pulled it up and over her long legs, and was surprised to find that it didn't actual feel as uncomfortable as it looked. The material was very light and she hardly even noticed it. She glanced at herself in the mirror, turning around to get the full affect. However, instead of noticing how it perfectly accentuated her long slender legs or shapely bottom, all she saw was her stomach. Her stomach that she had been trying to ignore for the past month, but could no longer pretend that it wasn't growing. She had never had to worry about calories or carbs like most girls, because her genes blessed her with a fast metabolism just like her mother's. Her much larger aunt used to pick on her and tell her that her diet would catch up to her someday, but she honestly never thought that day would come.

Now, standing in front of the mirror, she tried to suck it in, but it didn't make much of a difference. She couldn't see a single rib, and her previously cheerful mood was starting to fade. She didn't understand how she could possibly be gaining weight, when she was sick and throwing up almost every morning. Sure her appetite had increased a little, but she had gone through periods of eating more before, and it had never noticeably affected her. She sighed to herself, rubbing her hand across her somewhat rounded stomach, thinking that at least it wouldn't be noticeable through her school robes.

Instead of dwelling on her belly any longer, she decided to put it out of her mind for the moment, and put her mind on her schoolwork where it should be. She threw on her uniform and grabbed her bag to head down to breakfast. She made a mental note of the time (8:15am), to make sure she countered Malfoy's curse before that time that night. The room went silent when the shower was turned off, but it was quickly broken by an extremely angry sounding Draco.

"Errrr…. GRANGER!"

Hermione's good mood returned to her as quickly as it left, and she quietly snuck out of her room and down to the Great Hall to meet her friends for breakfast, eagerly anticipating the gossip she hoped would start by lunch.

It had been an interesting day, to say the least. To Hermione's knowledge, Draco did an admirable job of hiding his prominent erection until about half way through lunch. She looked up from the book she was reading when she heard whistles and catcalls from the Slytherin table, and watched Malfoy flee from the hall, his book bag held out in front of him, and his face burning red with anger and embarrassment. Hermione ducked her head behind her book to hide the smug grin spreading across her face.

"Wonder what that was all about?" Harry asked to no one in particular.

"It's Malfoy, who cares?" was Ron's response, his mouth so full of toast it was amazing he could make any noise at all let alone comprehensible words. He was still in a bitter mood over the break-up, but it seemed like he was taking it out on everyone equally, not just on Hermione. Ginny claimed that he just needed time, but after two weeks, Hermione was already starting to lose her patience with him. She really missed the old, goofy and fun friend Ron.

"It could be something amusing, God knows we all love to laugh at Malfoy," Harry said nonchalantly.

"Whatever," Ron shot back, stabbing at a piece of sausage moodily.

"Oh you are impossible sometimes Ronald, and I am not going to let you ruin what should be a very good day for me." Hermione then got up from her seat, wondering vaguely where Malfoy had rushed off to.

The last class of the week arrived once again, and the advanced students were settling themselves into their seats for the start of Potions. Hermione sat near the front, shooting anxious glances at the door each time she heard it creak open. If Malfoy did actually show up, it would be the first time since the morning that Hermione would be in a close proximity with her victim, whom she knew was not going to be pleased with her. She had to admit that she wasn't exactly looking forward to seeing him. For their DADA class, they were all working on private theses, and were supposed to spend the period doing research in the library. Instead of risking an interaction with Malfoy, Hermione had taken her book to the Gryffindor common room; the one place she figured he couldn't possibly find her. The news of Malfoy's boner had definitely traveled around the school; it didn't exactly cause the effect she was going for though. In the bathroom she had overheard a few girls talking about it, while she listened silently from the stall.

_"Do you think he left it on purpose, to show off how big he is?"_

_"Well it seemed like he was trying to hide it."_

_"Maybe he is giving up sex for awhile, so it can be amazing when he does it again. I've heard of guys doing that before."_

_"Yeah… he looked really big…"_

Hermione was snapped from her reminiscing when she heard the chair next to her drag across the floor. She tried not to look up, but jumped when a pale hand hit the desk, and couldn't help herself. Draco was hunched over, and slowly lowered himself to the chair, wincing and sweaty.

"Have a good day?" Hermione asked him brightly.

"Why you little-"

"Please settle down, we have a lot to accomplish in a short amount of time. I want all of you to turn your attention to your books, and prepare a recipe for an antidote to Weldenmer Poison. You can hand in your papers to me for approval by the end of class, so you can make the potions next week. No talking, and no Bezoars. You may begin."

Professor Figg spent the class pacing around the room and looking over their work, so Draco didn't get a chance to give Hermione a piece of his mind. How could she do this to him? She had no idea how painful it was to have an erection without release for more than a few hours, let alone all damn day! He had tried desperately to finish himself, but once he neared his peak, he found no more pleasure from his hand motions. All he felt was pressure in his stomach, which quickly turned into pain in his groin and surrounding areas. He had spent all morning in the library trying to look up the counter curse, but couldn't find anything about his ailment that would help him. So, he waited patiently for Hermione to enter the library to do her DADA research, but she never showed up. He needed to make sure she didn't hide from him all day, or worse, all weekend, which was why he decided to attend Potions. Otherwise, he would have saved himself the embarrassment, especially after what happened at lunch. He told Blaise what Granger had done to him, but instead of getting sympathy like he expected, his friends had laughed hysterically at him, showering him with whistles and catcalls upon his hasty exit.

The bell that signaled the end of class finally sounded, after what felt like the longest class of Draco's short life. He hadn't put much effort into his antidote recipe, but he never really did and still ended up with top marks. Anyways, he had bigger problems to worry about, much bigger, and his only solution was already heading out the door. He stayed behind her a short distance, partly because she was with her friends, partly because he couldn't walk very fast hunched over. They finally left her at the entrance to the Head quarters, and Malfoy let his anger spill out at last.

"You better fix this RIGHT now, Granger! I mean it!" he shouted at her as they entered their common room.

"Why should I? I said I would seek my revenge and I did, you completely deserve this," she shot back at him coolly.

"Just tell me the counter curse before you kill me. I don't think I deserve death just because you don't have a sense of humor."

"Nothing bad happens unless the curse lasts for more than twelve hours, calm down."

"Calm down? CALM DOWN!? Do you have any idea how painful this is? I almost want to cut it off just to end it! And I LOVE my penis! It's almost my favorite thing in the world! How dare you come between us!" His voice was starting to sound high-pitched, and he felt like he was practically on the verge of insanity.

"Fine, I'll do the counter curse after you apologize."

"Apologize? For what?"

"For the evil prank you pulled on Halloween, and for making me wear the horrible costume."

"If you think I am going to apologize for that, after you did this to me, you-"

"You can stay like that as long as you like, it really doesn't matter to me."

"Fine. Sorry."

"Say it like you mean it, or it's no deal," she said, tapping her foot in annoyance, even though a part of her was kind of enjoying getting her way for once.

"I'm very sorry I played a genius prank that you didn't find amusing," he mumbled out, staring at the floor. Hermione wasn't going to accept, until she saw a bead of sweat fall from his forehead, which was scrunched up in pain. She decided that the curse had lasted long enough to constitute revenge, so she went to her room to retrieve the old book and look up the counter. She brought it back down and lay it open on the table, flipping until she found the right page. She thought the counter spell was written at the bottom, but it was actually just the name of the artist who drew the picture.

"That's odd…" she thought out loud. Flipping through to the table of contents to see if they had a separate section for counter curses.

"What? Did you find it yet? Seriously hurry up, can't you see I am in pain!?" he whined at her. She just glared at him before returning her eyes to the book. She didn't see anything that mentioned counter curses, and was secretly starting to panic a little.

"Oh give me that, I'll find it," he said snatching the book from her grasp. After searching through it for ten minutes, he looked up at Hermione, his face ghostly pale.

"Granger… where did you find this book?" he asked her seriously.

"In the restricted section, why?"

"You do realize that this is a spell book for couples, don't you?" he replied, trying to sound calm.

"Okay… and what does that have to do with finding the spell?" Hermione questioned, almost dreading the answer.

"Well, the 'couples' are supposed to use this book to enhance their sex life. The curses only end when the one who cast the spell relieves the other."

"By 'relieve,' do you mean, cast the counter curse, or do you mean what I think you mean…" she nervously trailed off, horror etched on every corner of her face. Draco gulped audibly and nodded. He didn't know how much longer he could stay like this without throwing himself on her, and it didn't look like she was about to jump down his pants any time soon. He watched her take a deep breath as comprehension sunk in…

"You have GOT to be kidding me!"


	16. Chapter 16

Disclaimer(that I've forgotten to add until now...oops! we'll pretend this counts for all the previous chapters too) I don't own anything to do with Harry Potter or make any money by writing this! Also, I hope you guys don't get too used to me updating so quickly. I only have this written up until chapter 25, then I will be all out of chappys! There will be more to come, as long as real life doesn't get in the way... damn you real life! I WILL finish this though I promise! Anywhoo, on with the story! Huge thanks to those who've taken the time to review, it means a lot!! Oh and please don't read this chapter if you're under 18!

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"Now we just need to think about this logically. I'm sure there is another way to go about fixing your little umm… thingy," she said without looking at him, her face only inches from the page she was scanning frantically.

"Thingy Granger? And _you're_ the top of our class? People who use words like 'thingy' and don't even bother to figure out the counter curse for dangerous spells they cast on innocent men like myself should not be top of the class!" Draco shouted at her through thin lips. He was leaning against the table standing opposite the seated girl, towering over her as she continued on her fruitless search.

Hermione looked up from the book only for long enough to roll her eyes at him, before moving on to the next page. She was not going to give in. It just didn't make sense that a magical curse wouldn't have a magical solution. Or rather, Hermione just didn't want it to make sense. Truth be told it made perfect sense, even the title was dripping with sexual innuendo: "Begging for Mercy by _Bedtime_." Why couldn't she have seen that before? She couldn't believe how stupid she had been. She had overlooked every single detail that hinted to the nature of the book, and only saw what she wanted to see; the perfect revenge. Now it seemed as if her revenge was avenging itself before she had even gotten to thoroughly bask in the glow of victory. She just couldn't catch a break with the slimy, arrogant, yet undeniably sexy, Slytherin. '_Bastard!'_

Draco was starting to get extremely frustrated that Hermione was unwilling to give up, when he knew she wouldn't find a different solution. He had heard about that very book from Blaise on numerous occasions. Draco, while admiring his friend's sense of adventure, had never been interested in trying out some of the kinky spells. He didn't need a book to enhance his or his partners' sexual experience. As far as he was concerned, no book could improve perfection. And right now, he was quite thankful for his beliefs as a particularly painful throb in his erection caused him to hunch over even more. His arms buckled at the pain, and his face was now only inches from the top of Hermione's brunette hair. His senses were starting to take over as he inhaled a deep breath of the light lavender scent radiating from her.

He watched her flip over the very last page of the book, her eyes wide and defeated, while her lips were parted but still. The words for how she was feeling had gotten lost before they could escape. The end of the book signified a complete dead end in the road she was longing to take. She couldn't bear to turn around and face the only other option. Unfortunately, she didn't have all the time in the world to contemplate, and she could already sense her victim growing impatient.

"Granger…" he spoke in a deep husky voice, dripping with lust and necessity. "I need…. Please." He didn't exactly know how to verbalize how badly he needed her at that moment. His brain was starting to lose control as his manhood took over; heated emotion coursing through every ounce of his being.

She looked up at him while he spoke as a lead ball bounced freely around the pit of her stomach. She could see the need in his eyes, which weren't their usual cold silver, but warm dark grey pools. She wanted to reach out to him. Hold him; anything to get him to stop looking at her like that. She wasn't used to this side of Draco Malfoy. He always seemed in control, always had the right comeback, and could take even the most mundane words and make them reek of sarcasm.

Now he seemed vulnerable, as if the painful erection was taking over all his sense. He wasn't hiding behind the veil of being a pureblood wizard prat. He was letting his emotions take over, and trying to tell her what he wanted and needed, despite how she figured he must feel about being touched by a muggleborn. _'Touched? I can't possibly touch him! This is insane… there's got to be a reasonable way to fix this… There just has to be…' _Hermione held on to her last hope, wringing her hands in her hair and shaking her head, as if trying to empty her brain and send all thought out her ears. She was brought back to her senses suddenly as the deep voice above her repeated his plea.

"You have to… I can't take anymore of this. It's… It's taking over…"

Hermione slowly lifted her head, as if expecting to see a twelve-foot mountain troll menacing over her. What she did see was almost more frightening. She saw Draco Malfoy looking at her as if she was the most beautiful woman on Earth. She didn't see the thick walls used to keep out the world, and for the first time she felt like she was really seeing him. Seeing the real Malfoy under the sarcasm and the pureblood upbringing, and she liked what she saw. She liked it so much she felt her body shifting in her seat, her neck stretching and straining for his parted lips. And he was doing the same. With more self-control than he thought he could ever possess under the current circumstances, he was slowly inching towards her.

Their soft lips brushed up against one another for a brief moment before Hermione abruptly pulled away, staring at Draco like he was Lord Voldemort in a frilly pink dress. Her breathing was heavy and her body rigid and frozen in shock. The worst part was that she had thoroughly enjoyed the intimate touch that sent a shock of electricity through her from their point of contact. The present situation mingled with the fact that she had just spent over an hour immersed in a book entirely dedicated to sexual curses and practically pornographic illustrations was sending her hormones into overdrive. She needed composed and logical Hermione to surface immediately! Where was she when crazy, hormonal, lust driven Hermione was threatening to take over? She took a deep breath and tried to collect herself as best she could.

"In my room I have my Defense Against the Dark Arts books from every year. I'm sure they have something that could umm… help us." She slowly stood from her seat and fumbled with pushing the chair in. Before Malfoy could stop her she was halfway up the spiral stairs, leaving him staring helplessly in her wake, trying to ignore the stabbing pains emitting from his groin.

Hermione flew into her room and slammed the door shut behind her, enraged with herself for getting so caught up in Malfoy's presence. She was not supposed to just give up on her search for a magical treatment, and give in to his needs so easily. She just couldn't do that. He was the enemy. But as much as she hated to admit it, he had become less and less of the enemy ever since their first day back in school.

It was with a softened expression that she picked up her fourth year DADA book. She plopped down on her bed and looked at the unopened cover, running her fingers along the smooth feel of the elevated writing. There was no reason to open the book and scan through the words beyond. She had read it more times than she could count, and knew that there was nothing in it that could get her out of her predicament. Malfoy had won again. "Stupid prat! Stupid useless book! ERR!!" she yelled, throwing the heavy book clear across the room until it bounced off the wall and landed splayed open with a thud.

"Watch it, Granger…" came a husky voice from the threshold to the bathroom. Hermione jumped in her skin, trying not to let the vast range of emotions she had experienced in hardly 24 hours get the best of her. It was no use. She couldn't contain herself as all her feelings started bubbling to the surface like an exhaustedly shaken bottle of soda.

"This CAN'T be happening! It isn't fair! Everything always turns out right for you! You get drunk and_ I_ end up puking. I spend endless hours in the library and give up any chance at a social life and you do nothing and still get the same grades! You make me look like an idiot bimbo at the Halloween party that I planned and make me scared for your life while you get to laugh at me with your friends! You spent the past six years calling me a mudblood and treating me lower than dirt! Now the _one_ time I finally think I can get one up on you, it completely blows up in my face! I can't take it anymore!" She screamed at him without any inhibitions. She expected him to shout right back at her. Instead he looked saddened by her words, as though her bluntly screaming her true feelings had actually affected him.

"Look, Hermione…." He started towards her but froze at the words he didn't mean to say. He had said her name, and there was no taking it back with memory charms. He had said her real name, like she was an equal, a friend, or a lover. It came out so easily it scared him out of his mind. It was that simple gesture that really turned the tables and allowed Hermione to give in to their needs.

They both knew what inevitably had to be done. There was no use in using sarcasm to hide their feelings like Draco so longed to do. It wouldn't help the situation, and for once he decided to just go with it and not hold back. He was going to let her know what he wanted and how bad he wanted it. If anything unwelcome happened afterwards, he could just use the curse as an excuse for his uncharacteristic behavior.

"We both know we want this. There's no use in fighting… I know you don't want to kill me. Just give in and make this easier for both of us," he said in his sexy lust-filled voice. He moved towards the bed and stood in front of her, reaching his hand out to lift her chin and make her meet his gaze. Brown depths met deep grey-blue pools, and Draco could see her finally give in as her pupils widened in acceptance.

"This isn't easy though… It's complicated. SO complicated! I mean I've never even… I don't even know how!"

"It might be more familiar than you realize…" he said softly, his erection gently brushing against her knee and making his body shudder at the sensation. He could see the confusion in her eyes at his words, and instead of answering her unasked question he swooped down for a kiss. A real kiss this time, full of passion and need. They fell back upon the soft comforter as their tongues intertwined, heatedly searching every crevice of their wanting mouths. She felt his tongue fight hers for control, and gasped into him when she felt his hard length grinding into her leg.

At last Draco felt pleasure instead of pain as he rubbed himself against her long leg. It was hot, fresh, and long overdue. He needed to touch every part of her body. He broke their contact briefly to scatter random kisses along her collarbone. She tasted so good and felt so warm and soft as he nuzzled his nose into her neck, taking in as much of her sweet scent as he could with each deep breath.

It seemed as if he wasn't the only one being overrun by need. Hermione's hands were frantically pawing at his shirt. She didn't know what she was doing, only that it needed to be done. She needed to see his sculpted abs again. The loose school robes were only getting in her way and it took all her self-control not to just tear them to pieces. She didn't even notice that he was reciprocating the gesture, and almost had her button down shirt completely undone.

Only when she felt his arms snake around her back and unclasp her bra did she realize how far they had gotten in such a short amount of time. The cool air hit her nipples and they instantly hardened. Draco took one last look into her dark eyes before swiftly lowering himself to her breasts. Pulling the hard bud into his hot mouth and flicking his tongue over it, he heard her moan her approval. He explored her opposite breast with his hand, all the while moving his body up and down and rubbing against her with the pace of their ragged breathing.

If it was possible, his erection was becoming more pronounced and hard behind his straining pants. He lifted himself off of her to undo the buckle, but her hands caught his in the process and took over. She clumsily tugged at it and lowered the zipper, releasing his manhood at last. He breathed a long sigh of relief as his penis sprung free, right through the hole in his silky boxer shorts.

Hermione gasped when she was abruptly greeted by his long, hard length. She couldn't believe how big he was, not that she had much to compare him to. She suddenly had the urge to touch it, to hold him firmly in her hands. Where this urge came from, she did not know. All she knew was that it felt too good to stop. Reason and composure had never brought her such pleasure, so she completely abandoned them for the moment and followed the tingling feeling deep inside her instead.

"Can I?" she asked him timidly, panting heavily underneath him.

"Oh Gods yes…." He moaned out, dipping down for another bruising kiss. He could hardly hold himself up when he felt her small hand enclose itself around his shaft. Their tongues intertwined once more as her fingers worked their magic on his manhood. She held her hand still, taking in how soft the skin felt. Her fingers didn't even reach all the way around, even when she tightened her grasp. She wasn't exactly sure what she was supposed to do, so she slowly grazed her digits along his length. She explored every line, vein, and lightly circled the head with her thumb. She could feel it pulsing underneath her hand at each gentle touch. She decided to make her ministrations on his most intimate place harder and gauge his reaction. Grasping her hand firmly around him, she started to pump slowly up and down.

"Oh God, Granger… That feels… amazing," he panted into her ear, thrusting himself into her hand in pace with her slow pumping. He increased his thrusts out of necessity, sweat starting to bead on his forehead as he felt his orgasm finally approaching. She held on tightly, expertly moving her hand along his rock hard cock, rolling the smooth skin just to touch the head before bringing it swiftly back down.

As their pace quickened, the heat growing between them was overwhelming. There was no more kissing or speaking, only the sound of uneven breath. Their eyes were gently closed, feeling every touch and sensation coursing through their bodies. Her mind empty of all reason, she thought only of the man above her. To end his pain with the pleasure she was giving him. Although technically she was in control, she felt completely lost in emotions and feelings.

His arms were quaking beneath him, hardly keeping him above his half naked beauty. He was amazed he had lasted so long after almost a twelve-hour erection. Now his pain was about to end as his balls tightened in anticipation of his fast approaching orgasm. He thanked Merlin for the rapidity of Hermione's motions, and let out one last strangled grunt as he spilled his seed into his discarded school robe. He thought she would release him as soon as he started to cum, but was pleasantly surprised when she continued to pump him until every last drop of semen had left his throbbing member.

He felt himself already growing soft in her grasp.

The curse was over. However, he couldn't bring himself to move off of her and lose the warmth that their bodies created. He looked up at her and their eyes met, an innocent smirk playing her lips. She moved her hand away from his manhood to wrap her arms around him and pull him into a soft kiss. He pressed into her, thanking her without words with a gentle kiss to her forehead. He then picked up his soiled robes and threw them to the floor and rolled off of her.

She groaned at the loss of heat and scooted up the bed so she could pull the blankets over herself. For some unknown reason, Malfoy was doing the same and crawling under the covers beside her. What did he think he was doing? He had his own bed, why was he getting comfortable in hers? He didn't need to be there anymore, she had ended the curse before any permanent damage had occurred. She was about to ask him politely to return to his own quarters when she noticed his eyes were already closed. He subconsciously nestled his head into her pillow and wrapped a protective arm around her waist.

Instead of fighting she just sighed in defeat. They had the whole weekend to think about what had just occurred. There was no need to over analyze it just yet and cause the inevitable argument when they returned to their usual guarded selves. She yawned and closed her eyes, letting sleep overtake her as she snuggled soundly with the enemy.

The sun was streaming through the window, but Hermione was in no hurry to awaken and face the being whose arm was wrapped possessively around her. She had hoped to open her eyes to an empty bed, devoid of any shirtless, perfectly chiseled Head Boys. She had no such luck. He was still sleeping peacefully, his chest softly rising and falling with each shallow breath. And once again she found herself drawn to him as her lips lightly brushed his briefly, then pulled away to look down at his resting form.

"Go a little lower and you'll really wake a guy up the right way," he mumbled sleepily, smirking playfully at her. She picked up her pillow and smacked him in the face with it, laughing out loud at her childish antics.

"Oh you're going to get it Granger…" he growled back at her, grabbing her other pillow and holding it over his shoulder like a baseball bat. She bolted to her knees, meeting his gaze with an equally amused grin.

"I dare you. C'mon, give me your best shot."

"You asked for it," he shrugged, before lunging at her and tossing the pillow aside. He held her hands down over her head and tickled her mercilessly. She fought back through her mad fits of giggles, desperately trying to wriggle free. Was she actually having fun? Even more alarming, was he actually having fun as well?

She was finally able to escape when she got one arm out from his clutches and slipped the rest of herself out from under him. She grabbed her pillow again and pushed it into his face, seating herself on his bare stomach while she ground the pillow into his head. His arms were flailing helplessly at his side, but finally caught her and pushed her back onto the bed.

He was about to resume his torturous tickling when he saw her face suddenly pale. He sat back and watched as she rushed to the bathroom, and heard the all too familiar heaving and vomit splattering the porcelain bowl. It brought him back to the present situation and how insane it was that he had slept in her bed, and that they were horsing around like a couple of five-year-old playmates, instead of hateful adversaries.

He found his pants and shirt scattered across the floor, and quickly dressed himself, but left his dirty robes where they were.

After about ten minutes hugging the loo, Hermione reentered her bedroom, looking slightly worse for wear. Draco was just staring at her, not knowing quite what to say. It was her that broke the silence though.

"I went to Madame Pomfrey you know… She gave me a calming draught, but here I am, puking my guts out on a regular basis. She didn't even do any tests, she just brushed me off like being sick was no big deal. Like I was over-reacting about it… It's not normal though… something's wrong." She spoke in a weak voice, defeated and fed up with her 'illness.'

"Oh… she didn't even bother to find out what was wrong?" he asked her with genuine concern. He knew for a fact that the school nurse was obsessed with curing her students. Hermione was probably one of her favorites, being the best friend of the Boy Who Practically Dies on a Regular Basis and all. It didn't make sense that she didn't do some kind of test to discover her ailment. Unless… no… She couldn't possibly know about Hermione's pregnancy. How could she? _That_ didn't make sense, but why else wouldn't she attempt to find out what was causing her vomiting? The only solution he could think of was that she already knew the reason. He was going to have to keep an extra close eye on Poppy Pomfrey from now on…

"No, nothing. Oh well…" she trailed off before some of her senses returned to her. "We should be getting cleaned up and down to breakfast. We missed dinner last night. We don't want people to suspect anything."

"Yeah true. I'm sure they won't suspect _that_ though," he said smirking at her, as images of the previous night flashed before his eyes. He picked up his robes off the floor and headed towards the bathroom door.

A small voice stopped him before he had completely stepped foot out of her room.

"Wait, Malfoy… Can we please call a truce? I don't want to think about how far things will go the next time I try to get my revenge on you."

"Don't even tell me you didn't enjoy that. What kind of weirdo doesn't like a good naked Malfoy in their bed?"

"Fine I won't tell you."

"Ouch, now it looks like I have to be the one getting revenge on you for that hurtful comment." He said, faking like a knife was jabbed into his chest.

"Come on, I know you don't want to spend another day as a walking Viagra advertisement."

"I don't know what that is, but it doesn't matter. I'll call a truce to you staying far away from that book."

"Sorry, it's an all or nothing truce."

"Well then I vote nothing. Now if you'll excuse me, I have revenge to start plotting," he said, giving her his trademark evil smirk.

"Don't you dare! I'll… I'll-"

"You'll what? Have sex with me? Suck me dry? Now I'm really scared."

"You're gross," she replied lamely, trying to hide the smile creeping onto her face. He really was a prat. A prat who somehow combined charm in with his prattiness, but a prat none the less.

"Just let me know what you decide."

"I hate you," she called out to his retreating form.

"You wish."

And as he closed the door behind himself, she knew he was right. She did wish she hated him. Her feelings were confusing and conflicting, but she felt everything but hate towards him.

Hermione Jane Granger was falling for Draco Malfoy. Hell had frozen over.

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As always thank you guys so much for the nice reviews!!


	17. Chapter 17

A/N- Thank you all for the nice reviews! They are very much appreciated : ) Masquarade89- omfg that made me laugh really hard for some reason. Yes I am 21 and yes I have seen a naked man before lol. Oh and I haven't really read any stories from this site except one that was a long time ago and it had no 'adult content,' (I think it was called Lily Evans and the Elf Nymph Necklace... really good but I don't remember if it was ever finished or not) so I haven't had the pleasure of reading a 12 year olds take on a sex scene, though I might have to go digging around now that you mentioned it lol. Oh and btw, if any of you see a i or a /i around a word, it's the html thinger to make italics on aff, and for some reason they show up like that on here so I have to go through and delete them but I might miss some because I HATE going back and rereading what I've written because I just want to change everything so I try just to skim through... but yeah sorry if they annoy you guys you can tell me where I missed them in a review if you want me to go back and fix it. Anywhoo, on with the story!

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"Why are you so bloody chipper today?" Ron growled through a mouthful of oatmeal.

"I'm allowed. So sorry if I put a stain on your little piss-ant bubble, but some of us have better things to do than wallow in self pity for weeks on end." Hermione's statement was met with dead silence, and she aimed a swift kick to the shins at Harry to make him back her up.

"Hey, that hurt!" he yelled, his eyes watering. "Fine, Hermione's right Ron. We're supposed to be friends. If you need to err… talk things over, we'll listen."

"I'm not the one that needs to do the talking," he replied with an over exaggerated glare at Hermione.

"And what is that supposed to mean?" she shot back angrily.

"Oh don't play stupid, we know you're not. I see you two, constantly glancing over at each other all google-eyed when you think no one's watching. Showing off in class, practically sitting on his lap in Potions. _'Oh Malfoy, can I hold your frogspawn? Can I carry your bag? Can I have a piece of your hair for my Malfoy ferret shrine!?'" _

CRACK!

Hermione had gotten out of her seat and slapped the redhead hard across the face. They both stood for a second, stunned with what she had done. The entire student body was staring at them open-mouthed. Harry cleared his throat loudly to break the silence, and the hall broke out in whispers, sounding like a room full of leaking tires.

Hermione grabbed her bag and left the hall, trying to ignore the many faces turning in her direction as she walked. Out of the corner of her eye she saw a blonde head, purposefully looking at his plate while Blaise Zabini nudged his shoulder and pointed in Hermione's direction. Obviously Malfoy was trying to stay nonchalant about her storm off, but she did catch his eye just before she exited through the large double doors. His pale cheeks were tinged with pink and he seemed quite content and at peace, which was how she herself felt until it was so rudely interrupted by Ron's dismal attitude._ 'Bastard!'_

Now where to go? All she could think of was the common room or the library. At the moment she didn't know if she could handle being in the common room; the place where Hermione had fallen captive to the serpent's needs. No, she definitely wasn't in the mood for anything that would spur a trip down memory lane, no matter how enticing those memories may be.

The library was completely deserted as far as Hermione could tell, but she still ventured to the far back corner just as a precaution as to not be disturbed. She set her bag on top of the worn, but highly polished wooden table and dug through it to find her Ancient Runes book. She quickly found the page she had left off on and tried to immerse herself in the painstakingly detailed symbols that could normally keep her attention for hours on end.

After ten minutes staring at the same page with unfocused eyes, she slammed her book shut and let her anger rage war inside her brain. How _dare_ Ron say those things to her! He had some nerve accusing her of being 'google-eyed' with Malfoy when he had absolutely no proof, nothing at all of which to make such a serious claim. So what if she and Malfoy excelled in Potions? They were Head Boy and Girl after all, it was their job to do well! And she _had_ to get along with him in public or they would both loose their positions. Ron knew how much being Head Girl meant to her, so why couldn't he understand that she would go to almost any lengths to secure the top spot? Even if that meant 'fraternizing with the enemy,' as he liked to put it.

Yes, Ron was completely out of line. He was just angry with her for breaking up with him, and would make up any excuse to make her look like the bad guy. It's not like he was exactly Mr. Perfect. She saw him checking out other women while they were still technically together. She just didn't let it bother her because well… it didn't really bother her. She just didn't feel that way about him. How was she supposed to pretend to have feelings that didn't exist? Wasn't it better that she broke the news to him sooner rather than later? She definitely felt she had done the right thing, Ron just couldn't see that yet. She hoped he would soon though. In all honesty, she missed her friend.

She sighed aloud and picked up her book to try and resume reading, but was once again unsuccessful. She'd hardly been able to translate a single rune before her mind drifted. This time to more pleasant thoughts, yet at the same time more disturbing: Malfoy's trademark evil smirk. It was so subtle yet so effective. It somehow projected confidence, playfulness, and a hint of mystery all at once. His piercing grey eyes would be unreadable, but the slight tilt to his lips said it all. Those lips had once said such horrible and hurtful things, so how could they make her feel so amazing now? _Sucking her bottom lip… nibbling her collar…. flicking his hot tongue over her sensitive nipple before devouring it with those soft, pink, smirking lips…_

She was completely lost in thought, her eyes closed as images of their encounter danced across her lids. The area between her legs was tingling just from thinking about him, how was that possible? The temperature in the library had seemingly gone up 20 degrees in less than 20 seconds. She felt uncomfortably hot and bothered. It was like an insect bite just out of reach for a good scratch. If only she had someone to scratch it for her…

"Hermione?" asked a soft voice from behind her. She nearly jumped out of her seat at the sound, snapping out of her daydream quite suddenly.

"Hey Ginny, do you need something?"

"No, not exactly. You left in such a hurry I was just seeing where you went off to."

"I was just about to start my homework for Professor Vector. It's due Monday and I haven't even started yet."

"You do realize you just slapped my brother in front of the whole school, right? I mean I'm not saying I don't agree with it, he's been a total prat, just… Hermione wow, what's going on with you?"

"Nothing, nothing, I just need to focus on my work and I don't have time to deal with Ron's false accusations." Her businesslike pretense was quickly falling under Ginny's Mrs. Weasleyish, reprimanding gaze. "Ok, so maybe I over-reacted a little, Ron is just so… so frustrating!"

"Yeah, me and Harry had a talk with him after you left. He was pretty set on his claim. He thinks you broke up with him for Malfoy."

"What?! That's just ridiculous! He knows I _have_ to get along with him. You know how much I hate the ferret, we all do. He spent the past six years tormenting me, and all my friends, how could Ron think I broke up with him for that!?" Hermione heard the words flooding from her mouth before she even realized what she was saying. Why was it so easy to lie to Ginny, because she wanted with all her heart for it to be true, or because the truth was too disturbing to be said out loud? Either way, it helped her feel a little better at least to know that no matter what was going in her incredibly messed up 'relationship' with the Head Boy, the rest of the world wouldn't have to know.

"Is it so ridiculous though? I mean, he's rather good looking, and you spend so much time together. I would understand it if you fancied him."

This was it. Ginny knew. She _couldn't_ know though. Hermione couldn't bear to face her friends ever again if they found out that she had touched his… and had thought about his…. And had imagined him….

No, she definitely couldn't tell her. Maybe someday when the fate of the wizarding world didn't rest in the hands of one of her best friends, and the one sitting across from her didn't know the perfect bat bogey hex, then she would spill the beans. For now it was just so much less complicated to lie. She hated herself for doing it, but definitely thought her friends were better off not knowing, and that was enough to ease her conscious.

"Ginny look, I could never like Malfoy or even think about him like that. He's horrible. He's an arrogant, self-loving, Death Eater, pureblood fanatic, slimy asshole, git! I wish Ron would just think about it logically. His father is in Azkaban for being a Death Eater, and I'm sure Malfoy's just a graduation date away from joining him. How could you think I'd prefer someone like that over your brother?"

"No I don't, you've just been acting a little strangely lately and I feel like we hardly see you anymore," Ginny said with a softened expression. Hermione was playing her part well because the littlest Weasley was falling for it.

"I've been sick for like a month and that plus Head Girl duties and trying to study for NEWTS is just putting me off. I'm sorry. I'll try to come by more often. Ron has been in such a bad mood though it's hard to stand him for more than five minutes. Do you think I should try to talk to him again?"

"Don't worry about it, I'll talk to him. I'll tell him what you said about Malfoy and he'll be fine. For a minute he really had me convinced you liked him though, so he must really believe it. I'll think of something to snap him out of it. Threaten to tell mum about him stealing her knickers as a dare, that should do it." Ginny smirked to herself and stood up to leave.

"Thanks Gin, if I finish all my work by tomorrow I can go to Hogsmead with you. Harry and Ron too of course, if he's relaxed by then."

"Ok, see you at dinner." Hermione watched Ginny disappear behind a bookshelf before once again attempting to finish her chapter. She was hardly halfway down the page before her second interruption of the day…

...

...

Draco returned to his room in a daze. Even the long cold shower hadn't set his mind straight. Clearly something was not right with him, because he knew a Malfoy in their right mind would not have spent the morning goofing off with little miss golden girl. He even tickled her… oh God… Malfoys did NOT tickle.

The worst part was that he had thoroughly enjoyed himself. He felt carefree and happy for the first time in months. Like a caged animal released into the wild; finally seeing that there was more to life than what was set out for them and scheduled. He liked it, and he _hated_ that he liked it. She made him feel so good, her touch delicate yet strong. He wouldn't have been surprised if she hadn't read every book on the art of pleasing a man. Otherwise she was just a natural, because no other girl had sent sparks through him like she did, and other girls used a lot more than their hand.

His mind now in the gutter, he headed down to breakfast. The food tasted even better after a night in the Head Girl's bed, and he rapidly shoveled it into his mouth, his chewing blocking out the screeching noise beside him that was Pansy Parkinson. Then he noticed the hall get quiet, even old pug face's lips weren't moving. He quickly swallowed his half-chewed eggs and saw, to his delight, Hermione slap the Weasel hard across the face. He wanted to cheer for her as she stormed out of the Great Hall, her hair flailing about her face and her cheeks flushed with anger. Damn she was hot. Quickly realizing he was showing far too much emotion, he dropped his face to his empty dish, staring at the stop that was home to a mountain of crispy bacon barely five minutes ago.

"There goes your lover Draco, and it looks like Weasley got her all fired up for you," Blaise said smartly, nudging him on the shoulder repeatedly to get his attention.

"Very funny Zabini," he replied, looking up and catching a last glance of Hermione before she left the hall. He had a sudden desire to follow her, but he would have to wait a few minutes so it wouldn't be quite so obvious.

"We already _know_ you want her, now we just want you to tell us how you are going to go about getting in her pearly white knickers."

"You don't know anything," Draco said a little more testily. He was sick of having to defend himself against liking Granger. He could use Occlumency to block out the Dark Lord, so why were his friends seeing into his head so easily?

"Just keep telling yourself that mate," Blaise replied airily, not taking offense to Draco's harsh tone. "So have you seen her naked yet? Maybe snuck a peep while she was getting in the shower. Or copped a feel while you studied side by side. You've already admitted you want her. Just own up to it, we can help you! I have single handedly fucked almost every decent girl in this school. I haven't gotten Granger yet, and if you don't claim her soon, I might just have to test my skills."

"If you like your testicles where they are I suggest you keep them away from her," Draco shot back through gritted teeth, completely livid with his friend.

"Calm down, I was only kidding to prove a point. You want her. Even Crabbe and Goyle know it, and their heads are thicker and emptier than a new cauldron. Who are you trying to hide it from?"

"I'm not hiding anything. I'll talk to you about this later though, there's a pube stuck in Goyle's front tooth." He switched his gaze from Goyle to Millicent, who were spoon-feeding each other oatmeal, and shuddered. "I think I'm going to be sick."

He had to get out of there and away from Blaise, who was too damn smart for his own good. To admit that he was falling for Granger out loud would make it all too real, and he didn't think he could handle that just yet. Plus, if he was going to talk, he wanted something to talk about. He couldn't even imagine the embarrassment if he admitted to his friends that he wanted her, then found out she was back with the Weasel. He had to be sure of things before he said anything.

Normally, if Draco Malfoy wanted something he got it. This was a tricky situation though. He had never had to worry about a girl wanting him before. Most girls in the school would practically throw themselves at him. He was always in control of how far things went; as far as he could remember, no girl had ever actually said no to him. And technically so far, Hermione was one of those girls. She had even asked to sleep with him, which resulted in the best sex he had ever had, but she didn't remember it. Maybe he should tell her…. Would she believe him, or would she think it was just another cruel prank he was pulling?

She really did have a right to know. She was sick and throwing up every morning and she didn't even know why. Plus, even though he knew she wasn't a very vein girl, she must have noticed her stomach getting bigger.

Yes, he was going to find her and tell her the truth, if she chose to believe it or not was her problem. He was actually going to do the right thing for once. _'Spending so much time with a Gryffindor is starting to rub off on me.'_ He cringed at the thought, 'Malfoy' and 'right thing' did not usually go together.

Too much time had passed for her to still be in a hallway, especially at the pace she was going. He figured she would either be in the library or the common room, and decided to take his chances and check the library first.

The library appeared empty upon first entry, but he could hear voices and the shuffling of large volumes beyond the many shelves. He knew Granger liked the far back corner by the Restricted Section, and sure enough he saw the back of her full brown curls. After a few more steps, the rest of the table came into view and he saw that she was not alone. The only not hideous Weasley was with her, and Draco was about to turn around and just talk to her later when he heard his name. Deciding eavesdropping sounded like a much better idea, he hid behind the closest shelve to listen to the rest of their conversation. To his dismay, they weren't discussing when to ask him to join them in a threesome.

_"He knows I ihave/i to get along with him. You know how much I hate the ferret, we all do. He spent the past six years tormenting me, and all my friends, how could Ron think I broke up with him for that!?"_

She had told him she hated him that morning and he hadn't believed a word of it, but here she was saying it again. She said it so easily though, could it really be true? Maybe he was just kidding himself that there was a spark between them. He didn't know if he wanted to hear more, the conversation was doing a number on his ego.

_"Ginny look, I could never like Malfoy or even think about him like that. He's horrible. He's an arrogant, self-loving, Death Eater, pureblood fanatic, slimy asshole, git! I wish Ron would just think about it logically. His father is in Azkaban for being a Death Eater, and I'm sure Malfoy's just a graduation date away from joining him. How could you think I'd prefer someone like that over your brother?"_

That was not what Draco wanted to hear at the moment. So that was what she really thought of him; that he was an asshole Death Eater. He didn't even consider the fact that she was just putting on a show for Ginny, he was too angry to see it from her point of view.

He was also feeling slightly hurt by her words, which frightened him. He had never let anyone get close enough to him before to hurt him. Years of abuse and neglect from his father had taught him better than that. Every waking moment for as long as he could remember had been spent trying to impress his father and live up to the Malfoy name, just to be dismissed and thrown aside like the Quibbler the second he had failed an impossible mission.

Now he realized nothing had changed, and he had been stupid to think it would. She didn't appreciate any of his efforts. She didn't care that he had been nice to her. Didn't care that he hadn't called her a mudblood or made fun of her looks since their return to school. She even looked past the fact that he could have been a total asshole to her when she put that curse on him. He could have gotten her in immense amounts of trouble for using such a dangerous curse, from a book that was supposed to be banned, but kept cropping up anyways. He could have easily over powered her and forced her to fix him or threaten to tell the Headmistress. He didn't though, he was a gentleman about it. For the first time in his life he had cared about going too far and about making sure she was comfortable with what they were doing. He had icared/i, and for what? Hearing her call him a Death Eater on his way to Azkaban was like a cold slap across the face and kick to the groin all at once.

Finally he saw the red head leave, and he started towards Hermione, seething with anger and hurt.

"Hello Granger," he spoke softly, in a low deep voice.

She jumped when she heard him, and almost fell out of her chair again. She looked up into his eyes, seeing the anger clearly evident in them, and gulped deeply. How much had he heard?

"What are you doing here?" she asked him, immediately regretting it when she saw his brows contract into a scowl. When he spoke it came out strangely calm, but it was almost worse than if he had screamed at her.

"Well, I was going to come congratulate you on your performance this morning. I didn't know it was possible for you to make yourself more unattractive to the male population, but congratulations, you've done it. Now not only are you the stuck-up prude princess of Gryffindor, you're also a manhandling bitch." It felt good to call her names, give her a taste of her own medicine. It was helping him exchange the hurt feelings to anger, which he was much better at dealing with.

"What!?" she shrieked back. "How could you say things like that after last night!?"

"Because I am an arrogant Death Eater asshole, and I couldn't give two shits about what happened last night." He watched her eyes widen and well up with tears, but he stood his ground and refused to back down.

"I'm sorry, I was just saying that so Ginny didn't think I like you, I didn't mean it," she choked out, before her emotions got the best of her and the tears spilled over. Going from a playful pillow fight that morning to the serious fight of the present was too much to take in such a short time.

Hermione wasn't the only one affected by the harsh words they had exchanged. Malfoy was watching her cry into her hands with a horrible feeling in the pit of his stomach. He couldn't handle it, so he left her. He didn't know where he was going to go to, just that he needed to get as far away from her as possible before he did something rash, like comfort her and tell her it was ok. He needed something to clear his mind of everything that had just happened. As he could no longer rely on his friend Blaise to talk some sense into him, he decided a trip to the Three Broomsticks was in order.

Drink it all away….

Hermione didn't know how long she sat there crying to herself, only that when she seemingly ran out of tears, she was quite alone in the quiet library. She deemed her Ancient Runes book as a lost cause, and sought out the comforts of her warm bed and a large bag of M&M's.

Her common room was empty, but a loud high-pitched whistle was coming from it. It almost sounded like a broken sneak-o-scope, but more shrill and annoying. She dropped her bag and covered her ears, searching for the source of the obnoxious noise. The culprit was discovered in the middle of the room. The boxes that held the students concerns were shaking in protest. They were overfull because the two Heads didn't have time to go over them the night before. Hermione sat down and opened one of the chests, welcoming the distraction from her thoughts, and the whistling ceased immediately.

_My roommate smells funny._

Hermione recognized the handwriting but didn't know who the sender was. This exact note appeared in the boxes no less than twice a week. At first she was amused by them, but now it was just annoying. _'Dumbass!' _

She decided to leave the rest of the Hufflepuff box for later, and chose the next one from the Ravenclaw chest instead.

_So the other day I was walking down_

_the hall, and I decided to test out one of the_

_Weasley products, the nosebleed nougat. I_

_ate half and got this horrible nosebleed all_

_over the rug and down my robes. It surprised_

_me so I dropped the healing half. Well of_

_course ruddy Mrs. Norris turns up and I can't_

_find the bloody candy. I must have retraced_

_my last steps like five times. But anyways,_

_I was walking back and fourth looking for it,_

_and this door just appears out of nowhere on_

_the wall. I heard Filch coming so I went in,_

_and there was the other half, just sitting there_

_on a table in an otherwise empty room. It was_

_just about the coolest thing that ever happened_

_to me. So yeah, just thought I would tell_

_someone, incase I've discovered a secret room_

_or something, I think I should get rewarded. This_

_is Liam Alexander of Ravenclaw, by the way._

_So you know where to send the money or trophy_

_or whatever, I'm not picky._

Hermione rolled her eyes after reading this one. The kid hadn't made any new discoveries, he had just stumbled across the Room of Requirement. Hermione had such fond memories of that room, it really came in handy in their fifth year for the revolt against the ministry hag, Umbridge. The room had really out done itself on that occasion, it was like it had thought of everything they could ever possibly need. Like the room was all knowing.

Hermione jumped to her feet as a sudden epiphany hit her like a ton of bricks. The room could cure a nosebleed, why couldn't it cure her flu? Excitement flooded her body at the thought of spending an entire 24 hours without throwing up. Without even grabbing her bag, she headed straight to the seventh floor.

_ 'I need a cure for my illness… I need a cure for my illness…. I need a cure for my illness…' _she thought desperately, pacing the floor in front of the familiar statue of Barnabas the Barmy. She looked up hopefully, but the wall remained a wall. Perhaps she wasn't being specific enough?

_'I need a potion that will cure the flu I have…' _ She walked back and forth repetitively, but no door was materializing. This wasn't going as well as planned, but maybe she didn't have the flu.

_'Ok err… I need to know what's wrong with me!_' Still no door, she was starting to get frustrated.

_ 'Please… I just want to know why I am throwing up every morning, is that so much to ask for!?' _After the third time passing the empty wall, she saw the door appear at last.

She had never seen an odder compilation of items in the room. There were bookshelves along the outside walls, and one lonely toilet sitting in the middle next to a small table. There was also a squashy armchair next to that with a box of tissues on it.

Pushing aside the thought that the room had somehow gone senile, she approached the toilet and the table. On the table there was a funny looking stick shaped like a spoon, and a sheet that she realized was directions for whatever it was.

_ 'Step 1. Pee on small end of test.' _

_Even though she thought they were very odd directions, she decided it couldn't hurt to go along with them, and she actually had to pee anyways. 'Step 2. Put the test into the bottle of blue potion: round side up, pee side down.' _

A small bottle of clear, dark blue liquid that she hadn't noticed before was also sitting on the table, so she stuck the test into it and stared at it. Nothing was happening, but step number three (wait five minutes) explained that.

Finally words started to show up on the spoon shaped end of the test. Neat cursive letters written in baby blue and bubble gum pink spelled out the two words Hermione was least expecting to see….

_ 'You're pregnant!' _

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A/N- YAY she knows!(finally!)

Anywhoo, just to clarify, the RoR wouldn't open for Hermione's first few questions because there isn't anything really 'wrong' with her, and she doesn't have an 'illness.' That is how I see it anyways.

Well I hope you liked this chapter, thanks SOOO much for all the nice reviews for the last one! Please keep them coming : )


	18. Chapter 18

"Women

"Women! Either they love you or they hate you. It's a lose-lose situation," Draco mumbled into his glass of fire whiskey and cola, while the squat little wizard beside him grunted his agreement.

"I mean the ones that love you, those are the ones you gotta watch out for, really. They're always there, always watching, waiting for you to screw up so they can try to make you feel bad about it. You can't trust them. Or maybe it's just women in general that can't be trusted." Draco contemplated his own tipsy thoughts while the short little man he was spilling himself to pounded the bar for another round. He didn't know the man, but something about him was vaguely familiar. He had a long grey beard and vivid blue eyes that seemed to see right through Draco's grey ones. He liked the little wizard though, he didn't say much and had an appetite for expensive liquor early in the afternoon, and that was all Draco needed to know about him. As the Three Broomsticks was nearly empty it wasn't like he had much choice in company, and by the time more people started showing up, he wouldn't be in any fit state to entertain at the rate they were going.

"See there's this one girl, Pansy. Pansy, what a dumb name…"he said, trailing off for a minute before catching his train of thought again.

"Well anyways, I swear she would lick the dirty ground I walked on if I asked her to. It's pathetic really. It's not like she's that bad looking either, just annoying as all hell. She's so clingy and naggy and always hanging on me when I show even the slightest amount of interest in her. The point is though that she would do anything for me, like anything, and I couldn't care less. Ever since screwing this other girl I can't even think about Pansy without getting turned off. And this other girl, man, she's a right piece of work herself. Doesn't appreciate anything, and I'll be damned if she ever did anything I said. Even if it was 'Put out the fire' and her bloody hair was in flames, she'd rather go up in smoke than listen to me."

Draco had a brief vision of a smoldering Hermione standing in front of him with her arms crossed and nose in the air, telling him that a little fire was good for the scalp, before downing the rest of his drink in one gulp. He emerged from his glass with a lopsided grin on his face, which his newfound drinking buddy reciprocated. They each grabbed the small shot glasses that had just been delivered by the curvy waitress, raised them in a toast, and easily kicked them back, hardly grimacing as the amber liquid burned its way down their throats.

"So what's the problem? It's not a sin to fancy someone who isn't a boring old maid you know." Draco was taken aback by the man actually saying something, and had to think for a moment, as he wasn't prepared to explain himself.

"Err… it wouldn't be a problem if she would realize what a catch I am… and I might have said some things and left her bawling her eyes out during our last encounter. That and the fact that I would be murdered the second my family found out, only slightly complicates the situation."

"Ah yes, family. They do have a way of complicating things. Still, sometimes it's best to do it your own way. At least when it's over you can take all the credit. Even if things take a turn for the worse, there still isn't any regrets because you followed your heart."

"Easy for you to say, you won't end up six feet under by following _your_ heart."

"Yes, that is true. However, I _do_ know what I am talking about. You see, recently I had made amends with a close relative that I had formerly pretended did not exist. I was jealous of him, my older brother, he excelled in everything and ran off to save the world but left me behind. I didn't have the talent he did, and I resented him for it. Years and years were wasted with my ignoring him; not even acknowledging his presence when we were in the same room together. Finally I was able to swallow my pride and apologize, just in the knick of time too. He died, but imagine how I would have felt, had I not talked to him."

Draco sat in deep thought after the man had finished his short speech, reeling the words over and over in his head.

"Yeah…" he replied after a few minutes silence, thinking of Hermione. Any day the dark Lord could show his ugly face, what if he didn't get a chance to tell her the truth before then?

"You know, by the time we made up, I couldn't even remember why we were ever fighting. Why are you and your girly friend in a tiff?"

"That's not really any of your business," Draco said coldly, suddenly put on the defensive. He felt bad enough about what he had said, he didn't need reminding of it by some crazy old man in a bar. He was here to drink and forget about the look on her face when he had called her that name, not to talk about it.

To Draco's disbelief, the little wizard just chuckled softly, a mysterious glint in his eyes.

"I thought you'd say that. So let us just pretend for a moment that it _is_ my business and I'll ask you again. Why are you and the unnamed witch fighting?"

Draco didn't know whether or not to go along with it and answer, or be offended that the man thought he could be controlled so easily. Somehow, he couldn't be mad though. The man spoke in such a calm way, and his words were so well chosen, Draco couldn't help but to be impressed by him. He decided it couldn't hurt to tell him. It wasn't like talking to one of his friends; he would probably never see the man again.

"Well we were finally getting along, _really_ getting along… I thought so anyways. Then I catch her spouting a load of dung about me to one of her friends, so obviously I had to say things back to her. I couldn't just sit back and let her insult me like that."

"So, you got in the final word, you should feel very happy with yourself. However, the fact that you are now sitting in a bar telling this to a complete stranger suggest otherwise. Perhaps you feel that you might have gone slightly overboard with your retort?"

"Maybe a little, she was just as harsh though. And at least I had a reason for saying what I did, she did it completely unprovoked."

"_Completely_ unprovoked? She wouldn't have any reason whatsoever to say things about you that were less than friendly?"

"No! Well… It's complicated, you wouldn't understand."

"Why don't you tell me and I will gauge my own understanding."

Draco almost shot back at him, but decided against it. Instead he made use of his open mouth by taking another drink, while thinking about how to respond.

"We haven't exactly been close these past years. Actually, you could say we were mortal enemies and it wouldn't be an exaggeration. I might have done some things that her and her friends didn't agree with, but they don't understand at all. It's not like they're so perfect. I think she was starting to come around though, before she had to go and ruin it all."

"Perhaps she was only speaking those harsh words to hide her true feelings from her friends, in much of the same way that you said things to hide your true feelings from her," the man said with a small and knowing smile. Draco's brain was working overtime to process all of the advice. A few minutes of quiet passed before the older man spoke again.

"When they say that it's never too late, they're wrong. If I'd have waited it would have been too late, so let this be a lesson to you. Just swallow your pride and tell her how you feel, one of you has got to. Why wait until she gets around to it? Women can be very stubborn beings."

"Ha ha, well I'll drink to that." Draco let out a genuine smile at the knowledgeable wizard, and they each kicked back a shot. This left them with a bar littered with empty glasses.

Once his most recent drink had settled in his stomach, creating a contented warmth that seemed to spread to the tips of his toes, one thought pushed to the front of mind: what to order next. His little wizard friend had the answer. He nudged Draco on the shoulder and pointed to the bucket-sized mug idolized on top of a crystal shelf that was placed high above the many bottles of glittering alcohol.

"The Beast," they said in unison, gawking at the giant gleaming mug.

"You couldn't handle it old man," Draco smirked at him.

"Child's play. Two of them there m' dear," he replied, waving to Madam Rosmerta. She gave them a quizzical look, possibly pondering whether or not she was ready to deal with two men under the influence of the Beast. She glanced over her otherwise empty bar, and decided the place could do with a little livening up, even if it was barely three in the afternoon.

The men watched as she filled two of the mugs with just about every kind of liquor in sight, and topped them off with a brightly colored paper umbrella apiece.

"'Here's to drinking ourselves silly," said the bearded wizard, raising his glass a few inches off the bar with some difficulty because of its weight. Draco did the same, surprised with the toast, as he was expecting more wise words. Their mugs clanged together in a merry sort of jingle, and Draco took a long drink from his.

Three seconds later he was coughing and sputtering, having seriously underestimated the potency of the Beast. The old man roared with laughter and patted him on the back, as if Draco's ego could take any more of a beating. There were tears in his twinkling blue eyes, and he didn't seem to be phased one bit by the look of death Draco was shooting him once he had recovered himself.

"Watch and learn m' dear boy." And Draco watched in awe and astonishment as the frail looking old wizard finished his entire drink in one long drawn out gulp. He sat the empty glass back down on the bar, smacking his lips together.

"Little bit of a kick to it, don't you agree?" he said airily, grinning at the look of shock on Draco's pale face.

"I must say I have thoroughly enjoyed our talk, Mr. Malfoy, but I have to be getting back to work. The misfits of the wizarding world won't intoxicate themselves. I have total confidence that you will do the right thing. My brother had confidence in you as well, or he would not have had to order Mr. Snape to fulfill your mission. You have a good heart, don't let the bad people in your life convince you otherwise."

"What? How did you- your brother? Snape? WHAT!?"

"So many questions, so little time. Be patient my young friend, I'm sure our paths will cross again," he said soothingly, while Draco sat too stunned to formulate a comprehensible sentence, only managing to make a few strangled squeaks. The old man got up from his stool and threw his cloak on, pulling out a few large gold coins from the pocket. Madam Rosmerta quickly ran over to him when she saw him get up to leave.

"Please, Mr. Dumbledore, you know your money is no good here."

"Call me Abe, and you are too generous. Do stop by the Hog's Head sometime so I can repay you for your hospitality."

The door slammed shut behind him from the force of the wind, leaving Draco alone at the bar, more confused and overwhelmed than he had felt all day. He wanted to run after the man and force some answers out of him, but the alcohol in his stomach seemed to be acting like a lead weight, prohibiting him from leaving his seat.

So Dumbledore had told Snape to do it for him… So Snape was a good guy… maybe? Dumbledore had a brother!? It was all too much to take.. and Hermione… He still couldn't get the image of her tear-strewn face out of his head. The way she looked up at him with a mixture of hurt, anger, and something else… disappointment? He knew he was going to have to talk to her.

This was not how Draco had planned his day of drunken oblivion going. The large glass of alcohol in front of him seemed like a meager conciliation prize for his having his head opened up and examined. Being told by a strange old man that he had been in the wrong. Sure Draco already knew that deep down, but it was much easier believing he had simply gotten his well deserved justice, and he probably could have overthrown his tiny bit of conscience if it weren't for the old man spouting saintly advice.

He wasn't just any old man though, he was Dumbledore's brother. Since when did Dumbledore have a brother!? And Snape… If Dumbledore had told him to kill him, didn't that put him on the side of the Order? But Voldemort had wanted Dumbledore dead as well, so maybe it was just a lucky coincidence that they had ordered him to do the same thing. Snape had allowed Draco to be locked up in a cell all summer long, so he couldn't be ithat/i good… Unless he thought he was a full supporter of the Dark Lord, then he would have wanted Draco locked up. Or he could have wanted him locked up for failing his mission. There were too many ways to look at the same situation, and it was making Draco's head throb.

Thank God for the Beast.

Two hours later Draco was feeling much better. The Three Broomsticks was starting to fill up, and he had taken it upon himself to catch the newcomers up to his level of intoxication. After the fifth round of shots he purchased for the entire crowd, Madam Rosmerta had kissed him on the cheek, and dubbed him her new favorite customer, making the heat rise in his face.

The last sip of the Beast seemed to take away his circular thoughts of Dumbledore, Snape and Hermione. Although the feisty brunette was still on his mind, he wasn't so much worried about talking to her, as he was looking forward to it. He now had a colorful fantasy of _her_ apologizing to _him_ and then making up for calling him a Death Eater in a very intimate way. How stupid he had been for being apprehensive about apologizing to her, there was nothing to worry about. She wasn't that upset, why should she be? She had gotten over all the other times he had called her a mudblood, what made this time any different? So what if they had had a few tender moments only hours earlier, that should just make her keener to make up with him. It was no big deal… Her carrying his baby and not knowing it was a big deal, and this was nothing compared to that.

"How 'bout another one of those purple thingers, you know, the icy ones… I'm hot. Ha ha, I'm hoootttt," Draco slurred, leaning forward on the bar in what he thought was a very seductive gesture.

"Of course you are sweetie," came the waitress's sugary voice, filling a small glass with the brilliant purple liquor that was actually part freezing potion part pure alcohol, and handing it to him.

Draco kicked it back like it was a glass of water, and suddenly everything turned to pitch black.

...

...

Hermione didn't know how long she sat, curled up on the squashy armchair, trembling and hiccoughing from crying so hard. She'd never even gotten to third base, and now she was pregnant!? It wasn't possible, she was a ivirgin/i for Christ's sake!

She heard a soft popping noise, but she didn't look up; she already knew the source. Another pregnancy test had appeared on the table. They had been showing up every time she doubted her condition. There were every single kind of test imaginable: one that took a drop of blood, one that used hair, another that used spit, one that even tested her earwax, but they all had the same answer.

_'Positive! You're pregnant! Make way for baby! Better learn a good elasticity charm! Baby on board! Positive, positive, positive, positive…. Do I need to spell it out for you? P-O-S-I-T-I-V-E! ' _

The minutes ticked by as she cried to herself, and ran a hand over her slightly rounded stomach every now and then. She couldn't picture a being inside of her, she just felt fat. It was all so surreal. She prided herself on being logical and sensible, but there was no way she could make sense of her situation. Sure she wasn't exactly a sex expert, but she knew enough to know that sitting in the library and studying for hours on end didn't make babies. They didn't come from kissing, or hugging, or helping boys with their homework, which was as far as Hermione had ever gotten until recently. The only explanation she could come up with was that someone had magically inseminated her. She had never heard of that being possible, but if it was, she was sure it could be found in a book. Luckily, it wasn't called the Room of Requirement for nothing, so if there was such a book, she was in the right place.

She blew her nose and took a deep breath to try and calm down a little. On shaking knees she then walked to the shelves along the walls of the room. There were books of every shape and size, and if she weren't so distraught and confused she would have actually been intrigued. The first thing that caught her eye was a large yellow book with sparkling gold trim. She carefully picked it up, turned over the heavy cover, and soft lullaby filled the room. The sound made Hermione jump out of her skin and the book fell to the floor with a loud thud. The sweet sounding music ended, leaving the room in silence aside from Hermione's staggered breathing.

She left the book where it was, as the music was not at all pleasant to her ears at the moment. She went for a much plainer looker volume next. Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Pregnancy. Well, that seemed fitting. She flipped over the cover and started on the first page.

_'The first signs of pregnancy can vary from woman to woman, but usually consist of one or more of the following: Nausea, also known as 'morning sickness,' breast tenderness, increased appetite, increased frequency of urination, and the most obvious, missed menstrual cycle.' _

Interesting, but not what she was looking for. She flipped over a few more pages until she found an article that appeared promising.

_'A pregnancy occurs when the female oocyte is joined by the male sperm in a process referred to as fertilization or conception. Fertilization occurs through the act of sexual intercourse, in which a man ejaculates into a woman's vagina and releases his semen. No spell can replace this act, although fertility potions can be used to increase the chance of conception to over 99. These potions should be taken only if necessary, as they also increase the probability of multiple births…' _

So her only logical explanation was not possible. She was a virgin though, there had to be something she was overlooking. Maybe the whole thing was just someone's idea of a sick joke. It was the only other thing that made sense, but if it was true, someone had gone seriously too far. Just like at Halloween, when Malfoy had made her think he had been attacked….

_'Malfoy!' _

He knew how to use the Room of Requirement. He had spent so much time in it the past year that he probably knew it better than anyone. He probably knew how to make it show what he wanted it to show, even when she was the one entering it. Plus, he lived in her dormitory, so he could have slipped her a nauseating potion somehow, which would explain the vomiting every morning. He could also have done some kind of engorgement charm on her stomach.

It all fit as a perfect explanation, but Hermione almost didn't want to believe it. She had thought he had changed. They had spent such an intimate night together, and joked around so freely the next morning. It felt like a lifetime ago, but it was actually only hours earlier. She sniffled a little, and realized that she was crying again. Crying because she knew she could never forgive him for this, and that hurt more than anything else she had heard all day.

She blew her nose for the hundredth time, and wiped her eyes. She was going to find Malfoy and make him pay for what he had done. This was not funny in the slightest, and if he had been making her puke every morning, it was also possibly dangerous. She would take him to the headmistress and make him admit to what he had done, and then he would be expelled. She wouldn't have to deal with him or his sick and twisted sense of humor ever again. That was what she had wanted since the first time they had met, but she didn't feel as excited about the prospect as she thought she would be. She felt more at a loss than anything. She was not being unreasonable though, he deserved to be expelled. Hopefully she would be able to keep her anger in check so there would be enough left of the Slytherin bastard to take to the headmistress' office to confess.

With that thought in mind, she cleaned herself up as best she could, and left the confunded 'Come and Go' room. She didn't know what time it was, but there was bright sunlight streaming through the high windows, so she figured it was still the afternoon. She marched purposefully down towards her room, seething with the anger that was emerging now that she was getting over the 'planted' positive pregnancy tests. She was going to find Malfoy, and he was going to pay.

Fortunately for him, he was not in their common room, or anywhere else in the Head quarters. Even more fuming mad, Hermione set off for the dungeons. Draco Malfoy was not going to get away with what he had done.

At the end of a narrow stone corridor, she heard voices approaching. Not wanting to run into anyone, she ducked into a nearby bathroom and listened at the door.

_"He likes her Pans. I know you don't like to hear it, but it's true. Let's just go to Hogsmead and let him work it out on his own. I'll but you a drink,"_ came a deep man's voice.

_"He can't like her! He just isn't thinking clearly since his father's imprisonment. We love each other Blaise. I'll prove it to you,_" said a much higher and screechy sounding voice. Hermione now knew who was walking up the hallway: Blaise Zabini and Pansy Parkinson.

_"Whatever you say Pans. How about that drink?"_

_"No, I want to find him!"_

_"Err… he said he was going to Hogsmead too. We'll meet him there."_

The voices faded away, but Hermione walked further into the bathroom to check the mirror and make sure she didn't look too much of a mess incase she ran into anyone else. Her face was splotchy and tear-stained, and her eyes were puffy and red. She splashed cold water from the sink over herself, and saw that it did help a little. Her face dripping, she reached for a towel to dry off with from the basket of toiletries on the countertop. Her hand grazed a box of something when she replaced the towel… a box of tampons. And it was as if her world fell apart all over again. She hadn't gotten her period since summer, over three months ago. She didn't give it much thought before, but now it seemed like the missing piece of the puzzle. There was no way Malfoy could have messed with her cycle: regular body functions could not be affected with magic according to The Standard Book of Spells." She had every sign of being pregnant, and if she had had sex, it would have been the first thought on her mind. The fact still stood though, that she was a _virgin!_

Being the logical woman that she was, even under all the strain of the day's events, she decided she needed to double check a few things before she blew up at Malfoy. She left the dungeon bathroom, beyond tears or feelings, just needing some real answers.

A few minutes later, she was walking down the third floor corridor. She stopped outside the double doors to the infirmary, and peeked inside. It appeared empty, so she snuck over to the store cupboard, frantically searching for what she desired. She spotted it along the top shelf, tucked it under her robes, and fled from the infirmary with the proof she needed.

She was thankful to see that Malfoy wasn't back from wherever he had gone off to yet, so she was able to enter their bathroom without confrontation. She pulled out the pregnancy test she had stolen from the hospital and read the directions. They were quite simple: Pee into the toilet, add the pregnancy detecting potion, and if it turned blue, she was pregnant. She did as it said, and added the contents of the bottle to the toilet.

Her heart sank as she watched the water turn blue. She fell back against the wall, and sank to the floor, overcome with emotion. She broke down in tears again, angry, sad, painful tears that shook her whole body. Questions coursed through her mind. What was going to happen to her? She never knew of any other Hogwarts student to get pregnant, would she be expelled? What would her parents think? She could abort it… no…even in her mind she knew couldn't do that.

She continued to bawl to herself, with one thought still in the back of her mind.

_'She was a virgin!' _

...

...

"Guess who!" came a high-pitched singsong voice. It didn't matter that there were now clammy hands covering his eyes, he would recognize that screech anywhere: Pansy.

"Ugh, not you. Sluts always flock to the free booze, I should've known better," Draco mumbled, more to his glass than to anyone in particular.

"Humph," Pansy growled, crossing her arms and pouting, making her close resemblance to a pug even more pronounced. She sat down on the stool next to him and scooted it closer, already over the fact that he was an asshole to her. It would make things so much less complicated if he could just like her back. Maybe if he got drunk enough he wouldn't be able to tell the difference between her and Granger.

"Can I get a cherry sherry over here!" she screeched across the bar, waving her hand in the air like she was swatting a bug away...

There wasn't enough alcohol in the world.

"Looks like you got right down to business."

"Blaisini!" Draco grinned, patting his best friend on the back and thanking Merlin he wasn't stuck with just Pansy for company. "Here, have one of these purple shots. Hell, you better make it two, you're way behind."

"Yeah ok, not for long though," the tall dark man smirked and took the small glass. "Have you been here all day?" he asked, seating himself on the stool next to Draco and checking his reflection in the mirror over the bar.

"Just about."

"Oh.. I thought you'd gone off to find Gra-" he was cut off by Draco's hand over his mouth.

"Shhh! Icksnae on the Grangerae," he whispered in what he thought was a threatening sounding voice. Blaise laughed and shook his head at Draco's look of panic, but Pansy seemed clueless as ever. "I'm here to get drunk, and I was doing a fairly good job before you arrived with the dog woman. So shut your mouth and drink before I have to kick both your asses out of here."

"Whoa mate, calm down," Blaise said quickly, quite alarmed with Draco's serious tone and the evil eye he was shooting him. Draco seemed to concede and turned his gaze back to his glass.

"Bet I can finish my drink first," Blaise chided in to lighten the mood again.

"Oh please. I think the fact that I can still sit upright is proof enough that I am a force to be reckoned with. And I conquered the Beast. Rosmerta said she's never seen anyone down it like I did." Draco casually left out the little detail of the old man drinking his in one go.

"Well then I'll drink _two_ Beasts."

"No you won't because I'll drink two first!"

"You're on mate," Blaise said, raising a perfectly plucked eyebrow at his already pretty drunk friend. If Draco survived this night, it would be a miracle worth noting.

Madame Rosmerta got to work on two more of the giant intoxicating concoctions, reluctantly handed one to Draco, and even more reluctantly handing one to Blaise, as he kept taking her hand and kissing it. She wasn't amused by the school-age student's attempt at seduction. The two handsome boys toasted with the large crystal mugs, smirking at each other.

"Here's to me, out drinking you like always."

"Not this time. Just because you got a head start, doesn't mean you'll be ahead in the end." Draco took a long drink from his just to prove how wrong his friend was, and Blaise followed suite.

Blaise did finish his first, but only because about halfway through, Draco decided the bar could use some entertainment. Blaise reluctantly joined in, but it didn't take long for the entire pub to partake as well.

_"Everybody! Get us all drunk, you're the liquor man._

_Get us all drunk, tonight._

_When we're all in the mood for no memories,_

_You've got us feelin' alright!"_

About three-quarters of the way done, he started making up new and improved lyrics.

_"Get us all laid, you're Pansy Parkinson._

_Get us all laid, tonight._

_Well put a bag on your head, and snog you in the broom shed,_

_And you'll have us feelin' alright." _

The crowd roared with laughter, and Pansy's shrill laugh could be heard over them all. She didn't find his words insulting in the slightest. In fact, it seemed as if getting snogged in the broom shed with a bag on her head, was her idea of a romantic affair. Her body was pressed against Draco's, and her hands were wandering his body like he was an animal at a petting zoo. Draco's muscles tensed each time she ran her hand up and down his thigh, getting closer and closer to his manhood. Roughly squeezing the place where Hermione's delicate hands had softly caressed him the night before. He could feel himself involuntarily reacting to Pansy's unrelenting touch. He turned to the rest of his drink for support, quickly sucking it down with one big gulp.

The second Beast was gone, and so it seemed, was Draco's self control. His body was betraying him, leaning in to Pansy as she traced her clawed hand down his arm. It wasn't electrifying, but it was still arousing him. Blaise was long gone, in the back corner of the pub with Victoria. There was no one left to talk some sense into him. The alcohol was taking over, leaving his mind blissfully empty of all conscious thought.

"Let's go back to your room," Pansy whispered in his ear, before nibbling his lobe roughly with her pointed teeth. He cringed slightly, but nodded his head, and she took his hand and led his stumbling form from the bar and up the muddy path towards the school.

"Ooo this is nice," Pansy squealed once they reached his bedroom. "Just too bad you have to share it with the mudblood."

_'The mudblood..'_ that's what he had called her.. and now she hated him… it was all coming back to him like a tidal wave.

"And Blaise was trying to tell me that you fancied her. Imagine! A filthy little mudblood like her with _you_!" she cooed while ripping his robes from his body, that was now completely frozen… frigid with anger…

"SHUT UP! JUST SHUT THE FUCK UP AND GET OUT OF MY ROOM YOU DISGUSTING WHORE!" he screamed at her, forcibly pushing her away from him and fleeing to the bathroom.

He stopped dead in his tracks.

"Drakie, baby," she came up behind him and wrapped her hands around his stomach. She realized he wasn't responding, and followed his line of sight.

"Awe you poor little mudblood. Have you finally realized that you'd be doing the wizarding world a favor by not existing?" Pansy sneered down at Hermione, who was curled up against the wall. Two seconds later Pansy had a wand drawn on her, pointed straight at her heart. She nervously raised her eyes to face Draco, who was looking at her with eyes like daggers. She had seen eyes like his before, when she had met his father. He was very drunk and she was more than a little scared that he would actually hurt her.

"Get out," he said in a low growl. "Now." He pushed the tip of his wand hard into her chest. Hermione let out an audible gasp, but was ignored by the two Slytherins.

"Baby, I'm sorry, I-I.. I love you!"

"I SAID GET OUT!"

"But-"

"OUT!" he screamed and pushed the wand into her harder. She shrieked and jumped away from him. His wand had burned a hole in her shirt. Giving Draco one last scared look she fled from the room.

He then turned his attention to the being sprawled out on the floor. She was still crying and he felt completely horrible. He didn't think she would be so upset by him saying those things to her that morning.

"Hermione.. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean anything I said this morning. I just… I just…" he trailed off, not even remembering why he had gotten so angry with her. She was trembling, and there were tears flowing freely down her cheeks, but she still looked up at him and let out a half-smile. He reached out to her cheek and gently brushed the tears away. Their eyes locked, and he drew closer to her. Their lips made contact, but their eyes never swayed. He could taste the salty tears on her lips.. nothing had ever tasted so sweet. They devoured each other, rolling around on the hard bathroom floor, pawing at their clothes until they lay in a tattered heap, leaving them in their undergarments.

Hermione let out a low moan as she felt him grind himself into her private area. She needed him. Now. If she was going to be pregnant, there was no way she was going to be a virgin. Virgins didn't have babies. She needed to regain some sense, and she thought that this would do it for her.

He stopped, panting heavily over her shaking form. "Bedroom…" he whispered. She nodded and he scooped her into his arms and carried her to his bed. He set her down gingerly and took in her half naked form. She looked so beautiful. Her cheeks still shone with dried tears, and her body was glistening from their heated kissing. He could see the slight mound that was her baby…itheir/i baby. He reached out to touch it and gently ran his hand over the bump. She grabbed his hand away and covered herself with her arms, suddenly self-conscious of her body. He leaned over her and kissed the tip of her nose.

"You're so beautiful.. I want to see you.. all of you…" She smiled at him, forgetting her inhibitions, and lifted her arms to pull him onto the bed with her. Their lips met again, the heat and passion returning as their bodies intertwined. Draco ran his tongue down her neck, in between the peaks of her swollen breasts, and back up again. His hand trailed down, to rest on the spot over her simple cotton knickers, and he stroked her warmth. He could feel her getting wet through the fabric. Her hands went to his boxers and ran down the length of his erection, sending sparks of pleasure coursing through his entire body.

He needed more… so did she. He tore the flimsy material that covered her most intimate place, and she showed her approval by becoming more forceful with her own hand motions, and tugging at the waistband of his boxers.

They lay naked in each other's arms, panting heavily in anticipation of what was to come. His fingers traced her moist folds, stimulating her clit with each stroke of his skilled hand. Her breath hitched in her throat with every touch, his motions becoming more and more frantic.

He plunged one finger into her tight and waiting entrance, and was met with an unexpected barrier…

"Oww!" she cried when she felt him hit the obstacle that signified her virginity.

"You're… you're a…. a virgin?" he asked weakly, feeling completely lost and confused. She had lost her virginity to him that summer, or had it all been a dream?

"I know, I know…" she sobbed, the mood broken. "That's why it doesn't make any sense!"

"Why what doesn't make sense?"

"That I'm… nothing.. I- I have to go." She fought back the tears as she snuck out from under him and ran to her own dormitory. Malfoy had seemed so shocked to find out that she was a virgin, like he couldn't bear to touch her because of it.

She got into her bed and flopped down on the pillows. The same pillow that she had playfully pressed into Malfoy's face earlier that day… she punched it hard with her fist, and felt a little better.. She continued to let out her frustrations on the pillow and sobbed until she was exhausted and overcome with grief.

She didn't see Malfoy standing silently in the doorway. He watched her beat her pillow senseless, until she cried herself to sleep. He didn't know what to say to her, he couldn't even think of what to tell himself to make sense of the situation. There was no mistaking the thick wall of skin that he had thought he had already broken through, she was most definitely a virgin. Could it really have all been a dream? What about her stomach…there was a small round bump there that he knew was never a part of her slender form before.

Then he remembered his father, who took her back to her house after the act had been committed. His father knew every kind of dark magic imaginable. If there was a spell to restore virginity, his father would know it. It was cruel, to make her go through that painful experience twice. Even more cruel to erase her memory of her real first time… His father better not have touched her to do it. He cringed at the thought, anger searing through his veins.

He was going to be sick… literally.

The alcohol rose in his throat, burning just as much as it had on the way down. He emptied his stomach into the blue water in the toilet… _ 'Wait a sec… blue water?_'

He wiped his mouth with his arm, and that was when he saw it. The box that held the pregnancy test was lying on the floor where he had found Hermione crying. He picked it up and read the back, putting together the pieces in his mind.

She knew.

He went back to her room and walked to her side. He could hear her sniffling into the pillow that she had attacked, so she wasn't really asleep. He reached out and touched her shoulder, and she jumped and opened one swollen eye to look up at him.

"Shh.. It's ok. I know," he whispered.

"But… how?"

"I- I…." _'Tell her! Tell her how you made love to her so she wouldn't have the Dark Lord's baby. How she had asked you to… Tell her how she had been obliviated, but how you remember everything…Tell her everything...' _

"I saw the test in the bathroom." _ 'Coward!' _

"Oh… Oh I can't believe this!" she cried. "I just really can't believe it! I thought it was you playing a joke on me. I was going to get you expelled!"

"You should be the one worrying about that,' he said without thinking. His stomach dropped when he saw the horrified look on her face. "Shit no, I'm sorry. You won't be expelled. We'll just keep it a secret."

"Why are you being so nice to me? The Malfoy I know would make my life hell with that kind of information."

_'This is the second opportunity you've had to tell her the truth, don't ruin it!'_

"It's just that…well… I don't want anyone to know about us getting along, it would ruin my reputation. If people found out that I was just a human, instead of a god in human form, I think a riot would break out."

He saw her smile through her tears, and felt a little better, even if he couldn't bring himself to tell her the whole truth about her pregnancy. He turned to leave, but a shaking hand shot out to stop him.

"Stay with me?" she asked shyly. He just nodded and crawled in beside her. He kissed her wet cheek and wrapped his arm around her, protecting his love and his baby. He never wanted to let go again.


	19. Chapter 19

The air was black, thick, and still. The trees that lined the edge of the Forbidden Forest mirrored the dark sky, blending seamlessly into the heavens beyond. A pale blonde man stood rigid on the stone steps to the entrance of a vast castle. His eyes darted frantically around in the darkness over the grounds, searching for some sign of his prey. He had seen her leave through the large doors out into the cold night just seconds before, but she had been swallowed easily by the dark. His ears strained against the silence, willing himself to hear the crunching of grass, ragged breathing, or even a heartbeat. He heard nothing.

He cautiously stepped down from the safety of the stairs and ventured on into the night. A cool breeze ruffled the trees in the distance and made the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. He shrugged it off and kept walking purposefully across the grounds, sensing where she had gone more than seeing.

Finally, when defeat had just started to settle in, he caught a glance of two pinpricks of light off in the distance and he redoubled his stride, just as the light disappeared.

She had seen him.

"Stop!" he called out to her. She didn't heed his command but he could hear her frenzied breathing. He was faster than her, and quickly gaining on her failing attempt at a getaway.

A stronger breeze blew through the trees, making the crackling leaves drown out any sound of his quarry, but it didn't matter. The clouds had shifted, and the silver moonlight shone down on the grounds, casting shadows over the dewy grass.

A figure was illuminated along the edge of the trees, pacing back and forth. Draco stopped and watched as she finally acknowledged his presence. Her face was stark white and shown with tears. No sooner had she raised her eyes to him than her head was down towards the bundle of blankets in her arms.

"What do you think you're doing?" he spat out in a low whisper. She looked up at him with wide scared eyes, and Draco thought he could see a small battle raging on behind them.

"He told me he'd give me answers," she said in a trembling voice, signaling to the bundle she was carrying with a jerk of her head. "I- I need answers…"

"Don't tell me you're… that you're-" he broke off, as if the idea of what she was about to do was as unmentionable as You-Know-Who's name.

"I'm- I'm sorry…" she whispered, dropping her lids as more tears slid down her cheeks. Without warning her wand was out and drawn on him, swishing through the air with grace and ease.

"Petrificus totalus!" she shouted. Draco fell to the ground, stiff as a board, only able to move his eyes. He silently cursed his unsuspecting reflexes. Something was not right about tonight, and he felt especially vulnerable lying helpless in the cool grass. The air was too thick, the trees too still, and the Dark Forest too quiet. There was definitely something off, but all Draco could do was strain his senses for some sign of what was to come.

He heard the sharp cry of a baby and its mother's soft coos to sooth it. Still, she didn't leave her spot, and was staring off into the distance with glazed over eyes tinged with fear. He watched as she clutched the small bundle closer to her chest and seemed to sink further into the trees, her gaze fixed on a spot out of the scope of Draco's vision.

Then he saw it. A large black-cloaked being was flying out from the sky like a giant bird of prey. Hermione stood in a trance like state as the robed figure swooped down on her. Draco screamed at her to run and hide, but his lips never moved and only he could hear his desperate pleas. The baby's shrill cry cut the air as it was taken into the creature's clutches along with its mother. Draco could do nothing but lie there feeling powerless, fighting off the curse with all his might, but without a wand his attempts were futile.

Suddenly the curse ended. Malfoy struggled to his feet just as the baby's cries died off into the night. He knew what the curse ending meant, but he tried to push the thought to the back of his mind as he ran to the spot she had last set foot. He fell to his knees, searching the ground for a sign of his love.

"No.. no no no no….NO!" he cried into the damp but empty grass. His hands traced the ground , but his eyes stared off into the trees… "No.. no… no…."

"Malfoy?" Hermione asked in a confused voice, flicking him between the eyes to get his attention.

"No… no- what?" he croaked out, finally opening his eyes to find a pair of chocolate brown ones only inches from him, looking down on him with a quirked brow.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah I'm-" he said panting, but stopped to think for a minute. "What?"

"Well you were stock still, then all of a sudden you were thrashing around like a madman… It was kind of amusing," she added as an afterthought.

"Well I'm so glad my sleeping habits can humor you," he mumbled groggily, trying to shake off the horrible nightmare. He saw his robes and boxers lying haphazardly across the floor, and smirked when he realized that he was completely naked in the Head Girl's bed. She however, was fully dressed in her school robes, quickly pacing the room and tidying up her things. She ignored his comment.

"Do you mind getting up? I have a lot of research to do and I need to go get started," she stated formally, trying to ignore the way her bed sheets were tangled tightly around his body, giving him the appearance of a Greek god.

"So why do I need to come?"

"You don't, I'd just prefer if you weren't in my room when I left."

"Well somebody woke up on the wrong side of the bed. Sorry I didn't realize I slept on it, I was too busy consoling you while you bawled your eyes out in between tearing my clothes off," he replied with a sneer, quite offended by her attitude with him, and reciprocating it without missing a stride.

"Fine, make yourself at home. Try on my clothes and make some long distance calls while you're at it. I don't care!" she shouted before grabbing her bag and slamming the door behind her. Nude and confused Draco decided that she had gone off her rocker, and brushed it off. Harder to brush off was the feeling he had gotten when his dream-self had watched Hermione and his child being stolen away from him. Like he needed another disturbing image hanging over his head when he already had to deal with a supposed virgin birth.

Meanwhile, Hermione had grabbed a plate full of food and fled back to the seventh floor to revisit the Room of Requirement. She planned to spend the day reading up on everything she needed to know about her condition. Her condition that was made only worse by the fact that Malfoy knew.

Malfoy… She didn't know exactly why she had such a short tempter with him that morning. After all, he had been perfectly nice to her. Too nice, almost like he wasn't being sincere, and it unnerved her. Then she'd awoken to find his naked form pressed against her equally naked body, and she'd remembered how badly she had wanted him the night before. She was so angry with herself that she had gotten so caught up in his presence once again, especially when she had much more pressing matters that should have been occupying her thoughts. She knew she had taken out her frustrations on him though. He had seen her so beaten down and vulnerable, and being short-tempered was her way of proving to him that she was a strong woman and she didn't need him.

"I don't need him. I can handle this," she said in forced confidence and took a deep calming breath before she stepped through the door that had materialized only seconds earlier. The squashy armchair was back, along with the many books lining the walls, and Hermione was soon far too caught up in her reading to spare a thought for the Head Boy.

Draco couldn't stand to be alone with only his thoughts for company, so he had spent the day lounging around the Slytherin common room with his fellow seventh year boys. All of whom had insisted on getting the scoop about Granger out of him. Pansy had obviously told his friends about how he yelled at her, which they wholeheartedly agreed with, although Crabbe thought he should have at least "gotten a little something-something." Draco shot him a death look, and Vincent at least had the decency to look sheepish.

The conversation then steered dangerously close to the point where Draco had found his tongue roaming the familiar crevices of Hermione's mouth. His friends were relentless, like gossip starved fourth year girls, but Draco wasn't giving in. He claimed that he had only yelled at Pansy because he sobered up on the walk to school and didn't find her attractive without the buzz, and then went to his dormitory to sleep. Still his friends pressed him. Draco's anger was sparsely in check, but his mouth remained closed. Until…

"It's ok guys, our friend that we _thought_ to be such a ladies man, is obviously just embarrassed because he hasn't gotten anywhere with the one girl in this school who probably needs it the most."

"I STILL AM, I AM NOT, AND I HAVE TOO!" '_Fuck!'_ As realization dawned on him that he had completely blown his cover, Draco buried his head in his hands and stared blankly at his knees. His short temper was seriously getting the better of him lately. He used to pride himself on the fact that he could almost always keep it cool, and rarely let anyone see him lose it. The year before he had broken down in front of Moaning Myrtle after the pressure of his last mission had overwhelmed him. He had paid dearly for his moment of weakness though, and still had the faded scars to prove it.

Now, the inadequate and halfhearted attempts at murder seemed like a walk in the park compared to the stress he was under at the moment. What with the Dark Lord and his father constantly in the back of his mind, mingled with his relentless struggles of his feelings for the head girl, it was a wonder he had lasted as long as he did without cracking down.

Shaking his head away from his thoughts and back to the present situation, he realized that the room had gone unnaturally quiet. All eyes were on him. His conniving little friends' faces were all plastered with the same knowing smirk. They didn't seem surprised by his outburst, more like pleased with themselves for getting it out of him.

"Look," Draco said in a deep but soft growl. "Fine, we kissed, happy now? I'll tell you that it was very heated kissing and fucking amazing if that's what you want to hear, I don't care. But I swear, if any of this gets out to ANYONE, especially to Pansy, I will not rest until each one of your anuses is relocated to your foreheads. Got it?" he finished, breathing hard and glaring at each of them in turn.

"See well, there is one little problem," Blaise stated bravely. "We already knew you kissed her mate. Pansy told us she saw you, we just wanted you to admit to it," he finished off softly and shrugged apologetically.

"Fuck," Draco spat out under his breath. If she had seen them kissing, what else had she seen? Could she have stumbled upon the pregnancy test like he had?

Without a backwards glance, he left the cold dungeons for his own more private common room. He needed to talk to Hermione. So many thoughts were cruising through his mind it was a wonder he could walk straight. Things he needed to know, things he needed to tell her… just everything. They needed a plan. If Pansy knew that they had kissed, Hermione could be in serious danger. There was no telling the lengths that Pansy would go to make Draco pay for his 'betrayal' to the pure blood race.

After waiting impatiently for a few hours, he headed down to lunch… and then dinner. Still, Hermione was nowhere to be found. He was really starting to panic now.

Hours later, Draco awoke sprawled out uncomfortably on the common room couch. The sun was pouring through the high windows signifying that it was already the next morning. He had stayed up to wait for Hermione to return after not seeing her at lunch or dinner, and dozed off. He gingerly got to his feet, stretching out his sore neck and back. It was Monday, which meant he had another five days of classes to endure between trying to get himself out of the deep hole that just kept getting deeper. He showered and dressed, all the while reflecting on the absence of the head girl.

At breakfast, Draco's gaze was immediately drawn to the Gryffindor table, where Hermione was sitting between her faithful sidekicks. Her eyes were a little puffy, but besides that she wasn't showing any signs that her life had been turned upside down in the past 72 hours. If Draco weren't so pissed off at her for worrying him, he would have been mildly impressed.

Just as he took his seat among his fellow Slytherins, the Headmistress rose from her spot at the high table, and tapped her spoon to her glass.

"Will all the fourth years and above please remain in the Great Hall after you have finished your meals. Your morning classes have been cancelled."

Professor McGonagall's announcement was greeted with cheers from the older students, and grumbles from the third years and below. Draco was intrigued. It wasn't often that classes were cancelled, after all.

Slowly the younger students started to leave, and twice Draco had to stop himself from berating a couple of particularly fat ones for moving so slowly. Then, as he watched the last of them exit out through the large double doors, someone truly unwelcome entered. He had been so focused on Hermione that he hadn't even noticed her absence from the Slytherin table. He quickly snatched the newspaper out of his neighbor's hands, and feigned serious interest while trying to hide as much of his face as possible. His nose was almost touching the paper when she slipped in beside him, and it was too late to flip it the right way up.

"You're not in the clear, not by a long shot Malfoy," Pansy said in an undertone.

"I don't know what you're talking about, _Parkinson_," he replied, his face still hidden by the upside down Prophet.

"Spare me, save your charm for the mudblood."

"Just get to the point. I already know you've been flapping your mouth about what you saw. Newsflash Pans, they don't care."

"Maybe your friends don't care, but I'm sure _hers_ will. Imagine the shock when the entire student body discovers that their Gryffindor Golden Girl has a dirty little secret in the form of the Slytherin Snake himself."

Draco was at a loss for words. Pansy's horrid personality and screechy voice always overshadowed the fact that she wasn't as stupid as she pretended to be. Truth be told she was a conniving and cunning piece of work. The only thing he could think to do was act indifferent about the whole thing, and see how far it got him.

"What do I care if you tarnish her squeaky clean reputation, that's what I've been trying to do since first year." He thought this sounded good, like something his old self would say.

"If that's how you want to play, I guess I'll just have to tell them as a favor to you," she sneered at him. He could hear his heart pounding in his ears, and the sound of the Headmistress calling for attention in the background. The meeting no longer caught his interest, but as the room quieted down he knew it was no longer safe to continue the conversation.

"10 o'clock. My common room. Don't be late."

She replied with a curt nod, then put on a fake simpering smile and turned to face the front of the hall, where not only McGonagall was situated, but Madame Pomfrey as well.

"It has recently been brought to our attention that there are certain aspects to your education that may be lacking. Madame Pomfrey has suggested, and I agreed, that it would be pertinent to the well-being of the school, if we added this short informational seminar." In spite of the newly acquired Pansy problem, Draco couldn't help but show slight interest. Whatever news could make McGonagall beat around the bush and still bring some color to her cheeks must be something worth hearing.

"Yes well, usually we leave these kind of lessons to the parents to teach. However, it seems like with the current situation, well… This lesson in life skills will just cover the basics just incase your parents have neglected to do so. Madame Pomfrey, if you would kindly take over from here, I'm sure the students would appreciate it," the headmistress concluded. Malfoy swore he saw her grin at her own embarrassment, before she quickly shuffled out of the hall.

"Good morning students, and welcome to the first sexual education course offered at Hogwarts."

That was all it took for each and every occupant of the Great Hall's chins to hit the floor. Draco's eyes were immediately drawn to the Gryffindor table, where Hermione was staring straight back at him, terror etched on every inch of her face. He knew she was thinking the same thing as he was; two days after her pregnancy was discovered, sex ed. was being taught. It was not a coincidence. If she didn't look so incredibly shocked, he would have thought that she went to the nurse and confessed. He didn't believe for a minute that she would have done so though; no one could fake the horror stricken look she wore. The blame then shifted to the pathetic excuse for a lady sitting next to him. She was probably the only student that didn't seem to think sex lessons at Hogwarts were the end of the world. In fact, she had a haughty, superior smirk playing her lips, like for once she found a subject she could excel in.

She made him sick, but before he could dwell on it for long, crisply spoken vulgar words rang across the hall and caught his attention.

"The male ejaculate then swims through the Fallopian tubes to the egg. Many sperm surround the egg in the Fallopian tube but a depolarization of the cell membrane once one has penetrated ensues that only one sperm reach the egg. Thus fertilization occurs. Now there are many ways to prevent this from happening, as I'm sure most of you are more concerned with your education right now than about raising a family. The easiest form of contraception is a simple charm you can cast up to six hours before intercourse occurs."

At this point, most students were trying their best not to look at one another. Draco found it very ironic that a room full of teenagers, in which most of them had already had some form of sex, couldn't bear to hear the word 'vagina' without blushing. Hell, half the hall _had_ vaginas, and the other half penises, and still the air in the room could have been sliced with a butcher knife.

Draco didn't understand what the big deal was. That was until the nurse pulled out an over-sized model of a penis and held it up for all to see. He snorted into his empty gold goblet, and he wasn't the only one. A fourth year girl from the Hufflepuff table actually covered her eyes with her hands. If someone only had a camera, that picture would be worth a thousand words and then some.

Grasping the wooden penis in front of her, Madame Pomfrey pulled out her wand and cleared her throat.

"Now, you don't need your wands to practice the charm. This can be used on either the male or female, or even both if you prefer. The incantation is _preoccupo infantia_, and it is relatively easy to perform. If you chose to cast the nonverbal charm, you need to think the incantation and tap said body part like so," she said, demonstrating on the model. Sniggers echoed around the hall.

"Verbally, just say the words with your wand in your hand, it's as simple as that. Now, shall we practice? Everybody, repeat after me: _preoccupo infantia_."

The words were mumbled across the hall in monotone voices, but the nurse seemed satisfied.

"Now, sometimes things just happen, no matter how careful you think you may be. That is why abstinence is always the best policy. Of course, this is the 90's now, and us old folks aren't as oblivious as you may think us to be. If we were I'd be up here telling you all you'd be expelled for being sexually active, but then I'd just end up with a school full of fornicating teenagers."

Some students chuckled at this, and Draco found his respect for the nurse rising considerably, even though he still had his suspicions about her.

"In the case of something unplanned occurring, I would like you to come to see me first thing. It is important that you get the necessary care for the health of you and the unborn child. I'm here to help, not to reprimand. Especially in these times, I think it is best to celebrate new life, in the light of everything that has happened, not suppress and hide it."

Everyone seemed in deep thought at these words, while Madame Pomfrey paused to let them sink in. If anything could have confirmed Draco's suspicions though, it was this. This was her way of checking up on Hermione and gaining her trust. Voldemort would want to make sure that everything was going on schedule, that his heir was healthy, and that Draco had followed the directions he was set. She would need routine check-ups… The nurse would examine her…

Then it hit him like a brick wall. Hermione Granger was physically a virgin in every aspect if it weren't for the baby growing inside of her. As far as she knew she had never been fucked, but Draco Malfoy was. He was royally, seriously, deeply, never-going-to-get-out-of-this-alive, up-to-his-ears-in-doxy-droppings, fucked.

He didn't even hear Madame Pomfrey dismiss them. Blaise had to practically lift him off the bench and then steer him towards the exit. He saw Pansy's sneering face out of the corner of his eye, and Blaise's concerned one. They seemed so far away, swimming in a pool of black robes. No one realized that Draco was drowning in the deep end. Didn't anyone care that he was going to die? Why didn't anyone care? Why weren't they trying to help him? He was so alone, suffocated by the darkness that was closing in on him from all sides.

"Are you ok?" a deep voice said above him. Of course he wasn't ok! He wanted it to be over, to be swallowed by the sea of robes, and put a stop to the never-ending roller coaster that his life had become. He was already on death row. He had put himself there the moment he decided to care. The moment he had abandoned his instructions from the Dark Lord, and followed his own path instead. Why he ever thought he could outsmart the most evil wizard the world had ever seen was beyond him.

His petty attempts to thwart Voldemort's plan seemed so useless now. He should have taken his task more seriously. There was a reason behind every little thing he was told to do, and if he wanted to live to see his child born, he should have followed them. He was supposed to make sure Hermione slept with someone not only so she wouldn't think she was the next Virgin Mary, but so that Voldemort would know that Draco was his little puppet. It seemed like the easiest thing in the world to just lie and claim that she fucked the Weasel. There wasn't supposed to be any way to prove that she hadn't. Once again the Dark Lord was one step ahead of him though. Recreating the physical aspect of her virginity was cruel and sneaky, and something Draco should have suspected from his father.

He was doomed. He didn't know how he could possibly get himself out this time. He could try and seduce her himself, but he really didn't think that would work. The only times he had gotten anywhere with her were when she initiated it. He could try to tell her the truth, and how they already ihad/i sex. She would laugh at him though. He just knew it. They would have the inevitable fight, and he would be even more screwed than before, if that were possible.

It wasn't. He still had to deal with Pansy. Pansy, and Hermione, and Voldemort, and his unborn child, which may possibly be Voldemort's unborn child, and what his father would do to him once he found out he hadn't adhered to the plan, and the school nurse most definitely knowing about the pregnancy, and the dark curtain that was surrounding him…

"Will he be alright, Madame Pomfrey?"

"Yes of course, not to worry Ms. Granger. It seems like he just had a little bit of a panic attack is all. A good rest and he'll be back on his feet in no time," the nurse replied cheerily. "You on the other hand, don't look so well. I think it would be best if you stayed here for now."

"No, really I'm fine, just tired is all. I better get to class."

"Are you quite sure dear? The professors will understand if you miss class. Your health is our top priority."

"Yes, thank you though. I'll be fine. Do you want me to bring his assignments later?" she asked, trying to put on a strong front to end to the nurse's questions.

"He should be back to his room in a few hours, so I don't think that will be necessary."

"Ok..." Hermione replied, suddenly feeling foolish for showing such concern for the man who was supposed to be her sworn enemy. "Thank you for your help. Bye."

She took one last look at the unconscious form of the head boy, and the nurse that seemed saddened that she was refusing treatment. She decided to leave before Madame Pomfrey made any more attempts to keep her there. She felt guilty just being in the infirmary, especially after the morning's sexual education course. She knew very well that it was her fault that the nurse thought one was needed. She must have noticed that a pregnancy test had been stolen, and realized that students weren't participating in safe sex.

The problem was, that Hermione wasn't participating in any sex, and she was still pregnant! She imagined telling the nurse, and trying to convince her of her innocence. Madame Pomfrey would not be impressed by the attempt to save face, and would probably be just more disappointed that Hermione couldn't own up to her mistake. Because it was true that her situation didn't make any sense; none whatsoever…

She was so concerned with her thoughts that she didn't realize her feet had brought her all the way to the fourth floor. She was supposed to be in Defense Against the Dark Arts, down on the first floor. She redoubled her stride and backtracked down the corridor. She was already going to have to answer enough questions from her friends about why she had run off after Pomfrey and Malfoy when he had fainted. She would only look worse if she was late to class as well.

Luckily, her two friends were still in shock from seeing an old woman grasp a giant wooden penis, and they didn't give her lateness a second thought. Even Ron was almost being friendly towards her, and had said 'please' when he asked to borrow her notes. Hermione obliged, going through the motions and acting as if nothing was wrong for the rest of the day.

Draco still hadn't come back from the hospital wing after dinner. Hermione returned to their common room alone, worrying about the head boy more than she would ever admit. She went to her room to make an attempt at her homework, so preoccupied that she didn't even notice she was being followed.

Draco groaned and turned over on the soft cot, slowly awakening from his long sleep. His head was pounding, and his limbs felt like lead blocks. He didn't know where he was or how he had gotten there, and for a moment he tried hard not to care. He wanted more than anything to just lie there and sleep, then awaken so far in the future that all his problems had miraculously solved themselves. He squeezed his eyes shut tighter, willing himself to fall back into blissful oblivion. Fate was against him though, and it seemed like the more he tried to forget the more things kept cropping up.

He gingerly opened his eyes, and immediately recognized the privacy screens. He was in the infirmary, and there wasn't any light coming in through the many windows. The clock on the wall said it was 8:45, so he hadn't even managed to sleep through the meeting with Pansy. Nothing was going his way.

Somehow sensing that her patient was conscious, Madame Pomfrey bustled into the room. She handed him a sandwich and a large bar of chocolate, and sent him on his way once he had eaten and she had given him a once over.

Back at the portrait entrance to the Head suite, Draco stood against the wall. He wasn't ready to confront Hermione until he had the whole Pansy business under control. He had already double-checked that she wasn't in the common area, and he couldn't hear any noise coming from her bedroom.

So here he stood, alone in the drafty corridor, waiting for the arrival of the last person he wanted to see. It wasn't long before he heard the click of high heels on stone, and then the screechy voice that accompanied them.

"Hello Draco, I'm glad to see you haven't chickened out on our meeting. I thought for sure you'd use the little show you put on in the Great Hall as an excuse not to see me."

"Malfoy's don't chicken out on anything," he growled, opening the portrait for her to enter in front of him.

"Yes well, Malfoy's don't usually make out with mudbloods either, but we both know that isn't true," she said coldly.

"I don't know what you are talking about."

"Yes you do. I know what I saw."

"Fine, then what do you want from me?"

"Oh a little of this and a little of that," she replied with a smirk. Draco wasn't going to listen to the little slut mock him like this. He flew at her and pinned her against the wall with one hand around her wrists. He was seething with anger, and drew his wand on her, pointing it straight at her throat.

"Don't play your stupid games. I'm going to obliviate you and end this mess, unless you want to apologize." If she was afraid of him, she was doing a good job hiding it. She still wore her wicked fake little smile, and it took all of Draco's self control not to blast it from her face.

"Obliviate me all you want, I knew you would try that. I wrote myself notes all over my room, and I already have a letter ready for delivery to your family. Obliviating me won't make them disappear."

He felt his grip on her slacken. He couldn't think of anything else to do except see what she wanted from him. Somehow she had covered all the holes, and it made Draco cringe. He had seriously underestimated her.

"What do you want?"

"You," she replied simply.

"You're going to blackmail me for sex? That's sick, even for your standards," he spat back at her, venom oozing off his every word.

"I don't want sex, not after the mudblood infected you. A sham relationship will work fine for me."

"And what if I refuse?"

"Then I'll tell everyone what I saw. _Everyone_."

Draco didn't know what to do. If this news ever got back to his father he wouldn't stand a chance for survival. Then, after Voldemort's so called heir was born, he would kill Hermione just for being a blemish on the Malfoy name. He only had one choice.

"Fine, spread the word that we're back together, but don't expect me to back you up. I just won't deny it."

"Actually, I have a better idea. _You_ are going to spread the word, starting with the dirty little mudblood herself. And I am going to watch. You better make it believable, get a few good insults in at her so she is sure not to talk to you after. Then you can kiss me to close the deal."

"I hate you. You are going to pay for this Pansy."

"Well I love you. Funny how these things work out sometimes, isn't it?"

"Hilarious."


	20. Chapter 20

_B__roken this fragile thing now_

_And I can't, I can't pick up the pieces_

_And I've thrown my words all around_

_But I can't, I can't give you a reason_

_I feel so broken up_

_And I give up_

_I just want to tell you so you know_

_Here I go, scream my lungs out and try to get to you_

_You are my only one_

_I let go, but there's just no one that gets me like you do_

_You are my only, my only one._

_-Yellowcard_

Hermione was lying facedown on her bed, squeezing her eyes shut tight while fighting the urge to claw her comforter to shreds. She wanted to use every ounce of her being for destruction at the moment; needing with all her heart to inflict even a small percentage of the pain she was feeling onto another. Something needed to be destroyed. Well, besides her life, as someone or something had already done that. Taken her very existence, flipped it over and shook it like last year's holiday snow globe. Now she was just waiting to be dropped on the ground, cracked open, swept away and forgotten. The control she once had over her life had slipped away from her before she even had a chance to appreciate it.

When she had watched Malfoy collapse in the Great Hall, a part of her fell with him. For a moment all her concerns with her own situation disappeared, and all she saw was Draco. She didn't notice that people were watching her chase after him, or what her friends would think about her sudden concern in their sworn enemy. To be honest, she hadn't even cared.

But now he was going to be ok, so the large portion of her brain she had dedicated to worrying had to be once again shared by her own problems. The problems she had no control over.

Ripping her blanket she had control over. Blasting every single ornamental hanging in her lavishly decorated bedroom, she had control over. Adding to the teen pregnancy statistics however, was something she _thought_ she had control over. Turns out, she was wrong. Hundreds of books claiming abstinence as the only foolproof way to avoid pregnancy were also, apparently wrong. Her parents, teachers, and friends were all wrong, wrong, wrong.

She sighed into the thick fabric below her. Her head was pounding from trying to make sense of everything that had happened to her. The same circular argument just kept playing over and over in her head. _'You're pregnant!_' she would tell herself. Then her logical side would chide in,_ 'But you're a virgin!'_ She had no answer for that.

She was out of time to contemplate alone though, as a second being was manifesting itself by the foot of her bed. Hermione didn't notice until she felt a hand on her shoulder, and she jumped a foot and scrambled frantically for her wand. Through her own disheveled locks she saw a flash of red hair, and she collapsed back down on the bed. It was only Ginny.

"Alright Hermione, you need to tell me what's going on. I didn't ask any questions last night because you were so distraught, but after today… Running after Malfoy? I don't understand what's going on with you."

"How did you get in here?" she demanded., brushing the hair out of her face and tucking it securely behind her ears.

"I followed you back from dinner. Obviously." Hermione was still pouting, and Ginny sighed and rolled her eyes. "Ok I _borrowed_ Harry's invisibility cloak. That's not important though. What is important is that you are hiding something big, and I'm not leaving here without answers, _real_ answers."

Hermione let out a strangled squeak that left her mouth hanging open. The night before she had snuck in to Ginny's dorm to sleep because she was afraid of being seduced by the head boy once again. Ginny had been there for her, and even woke up early with her so they could leave for breakfast before anyone else did. No questions were asked, and Hermione couldn't even begin to express her gratitude. Ginny would never understand how much it meant to Hermione that she was there for her. Maybe she owed the redhead some sort of explanation.

"Please Gin, I want to tell you, I really do," Hermione pleaded with her. She wanted her friend to understand that it wasn't her fault she couldn't tell her what was wrong. Explaining being pregnant to someone else when she couldn't even explain it to herself didn't seem like a plausible start to the conversation.

"Then just tell me! I don't care what it is 'Mione, I'm here for you. Is it Ron? Is it _Malfoy_?"

Hermione heard the contempt in her friend's voice, just from saying the iname/i Malfoy. And Ginny was usually the open minded one of the group. Her friends would never accept him, and so for now he would remain another dirty little secret, in her ever-growing pile.

"No, it's definitely just me," she sighed, trying to find a way to elucidate her strange behavior that didn't involve the words 'Malfoy,' 'Pregnancy,' or 'Sexy Slytherin bastard.'

"Then why can't you tell me?"

"Because you wouldn't believe me."

"Try me." The young Weasley looked deathly serious. It was more than a little intimidating. Hermione was still unsure of how much information she should divulge, so she chose her next words carefully. Firstly though, she grabbed her wand off her bed stand and performed the necessary silencing charms on her room.

"Have you ever heard of the Immaculate Conception?" she asked after she had finished. It was the first thing that came to mind, but she wasn't exactly sure where it had come from. She remembered it was briefly mentioned in her old Muggle Studies textbook, and had been thinking of it on and off ever since that fateful trip into the Room of Requirement.

"No… should I have?" Ginny replied with slight confusion to her voice.

"I guess not, it's a muggle religious thing…." She trailed off, weighing her options, which were comprised of 'screwed' and 'super screwed.' She could tell Ginny as much as she knew of the story, after which the redhead would obviously ask her _why_ she was telling her such a thing. And she could then explain her unexplainable predicament. It would all be out in the open. Someone she loved and trusted would either be there for her to confide in, or else be the first one to ship her off to St. Mungo's. Would Ginny really believe that there hadn't been any man involved in the fertilization process in Hermione's case? Or maybe she would just think it was all a bunch of hogwash to cover up some secret sex scandal.

She tried to put herself in Ginny's shoes, and imagine that she was the one listening to a friend tell her she was pregnant and a virgin. Sensible Hermione would never believe it, so why should Ginny? Still, she knew the stubborn Weasley too well to think she was going to get away without some kind of explanation, and she really did want to tell her. It was hard going through something so serious by herself.

"It's just that-" _ 'Grit your teeth and do it!_' "Well it's just-" _'It's now or never!'_ "Your brother." _'Where the hell did that come from?' _

"Ron? What did he do?!" Ginny hurriedly asked, sounding quite worried at this point. "Did he hurt you at all? He can't seriously be holding his grudge against you still, he told me he was over that. I swore I'd hex him to the verge of womanhood if he kept up his charade against-"

"No it's nothing like that, Gin," Hermione quickly cut her off. She didn't know where she was going with this new thread of lies, she just hoped by the time she was finished the web wouldn't be too thick to escape from. Sighing and inwardly cringing, she let the spindle unravel.

"I think I still like him."

There was silence. Hermione almost laughed out loud; and she had thought she couldn't possibly be in a deeper hole than the one she was in! Hah! She was wrong, oh so very wrong. She was transforming from an only slightly venomous house spider to a Black Widow before her very eyes. Now she had brought Ron back into the situation, so she could sink her fangs deep into his already open wound and have another go. She was absolutely disgusted with herself, and yet, her mind was utterly blank at how to rectify her falsely spoken words. It was like she believed that the only way to cover up her unacceptable pregnancy was to lie to the people who loved her. Where had this new mindset come from? The one in which she only cared about her own wellbeing, and not about who got bowled over in the process of keeping up appearances.

"Are you serious!? Hermione, that's great!" Ginny sounded absolutely ecstatic at the news. The head girl's heart fell about sixteen stories and landed hard on the jagged rocks of the Chamber of Secrets as she gazed upon Ginny's glee. She had covered up her pregnancy for another day, all at the low cost of her best friends' trust. '_Best friends?'_ she thought. She didn't deserve such a thing if she could so easily play with and contort them with her lies.

Now all she needed was Malfoy to pop out of the woodwork and parade around with a sign on his back to tell the world of their recent lusting of one another. What if her friends found out about her undeniable attraction to the head boy? Ron would be devastated, especially if she decided to continue on the pretense of wanting a relationship again. Not only had she sunk so low as to fabricate feelings that did not exist, she was doing so to one of her best friends. Deceiving him until the inevitable day when her lies broke the surface; either when she couldn't bear to keep up the dishonesty, or when she popped out a baby that wasn't his. Ron would be better off as lunchmeat for the newest batch of skrewts. She couldn't do that to him.

"Wait, no. I don't know how I feel. I- I think I just miss him is all. Yeah… I feel like I never see any of you guys anymore. How are you and Harry? How is your umm.. sex life?" _'Muahaha… Hermione you are a psychological mastermind!' _If there was one thing that would make Ginny completely drop any thread of conversation, it was the chance to talk about sex, and her very able boyfriend. This was usually an opportunity Hermione was sure to never give her, so she wasn't surprised to see the redhead's eyes light up and she was positive she had escaped any further inquiries to her mysterious behavior. She sat back on her bed and got comfortable, as she was probably going to be there for a while.

Meanwhile, Draco was having no such luck turning the conversation in his favor. Pansy Parkinson just wasn't backing down.

"There is nothing left to discuss. Just perform the spell already with the terms _I_ agreed on and this whole mess will be over."

"No. I absolutely refuse to agree to any of this unless I bind you to the same conditions. I will not be made to look like a fool if my so called _girlfriend_," he inwardly cringed. The word didn't hold quite as much appeal when it was associated with Pansy. "Is sleeping around behind my back."

"Why Draco, I didn't know you cared so much."

"Don't bet on that," he spat back. He couldn't care less who she spread her bony legs for, all he cared about was getting out of the deal as fast as he was getting himself into it. Pansy would never last without sex, and he certainly wasn't going to give it to her. He just hoped her slut senses would take over before there was any irreparable damage between himself and Hermione.

"Fine, I'll agree to that. Just don't forget that I'll know the second you don't abide by the rules and you can bet your life that your father will fancy the idea of you and the mudblood just as much as I do," she stated dryly with her pug nose in the air. Draco so wanted to blast it from her face, only he wasn't in the mood to be doing her any favors.

He pulled his wand from his robes and breathed a deep sigh. He really hoped he knew what he was getting himself into, as the Binding spell he was about to perform was both difficult and dangerous. Hundreds of years ago, it was used by purebloods to coerce their children into arranged marriages. It was archaic and hardly ever used in the present day. Leave it to Pansy to think of it. Basically, each party was magically forced to comply with the terms of a contract. In this case Draco had to fake a relationship with Pansy in exchange for her silence about what she had seen.

If that was the end of the spell, it wouldn't have been _quite_ so bad. Unfortunately, there was another half. Both parties had to agree on a 'contract breaking' behavior. Pansy had insisted that Draco was to be completely horrible to Hermione, and Pansy wasn't allowed to sleep with any other men while her and Draco were 'together.' The first one to lose and give in to their urges was stuck in the contract forever, while the other one was free to do as they wished. This meant that if Draco did or said anything that could be construed as 'nice' to Hermione, he would be stuck in a sham relationship with the woman he despised the most, forever. He could only pray that Pansy had a reputation for being a whore for a reason, and that she would give in before he did.

"Alright give me your hand so we can get this over with," he spoke dejectedly. She reached over and clasped her hand in his. It was cold and clammy as the woman herself. Nothing like Hermione's soft and delicate fingers, as they explored his glistening manhood with curiosity… If he could only have one more night with her before he was forced to play the part of the pureblooded prat again… There had to be a way. He had to remind himself that he was dealing with Pansy Parkinson, and although she was being a right pain in the rear today, he still had more brain cells than her in his little toe. _'Think Draco, think!' _

And like a gift from the Gods, and idea popped into his head. She'd have to be pretty thick to fall for it, but once again he had to remind himself that it was _Pansy _he was dealing with.

"Give me the binding rings."

"What binding rings? Don't those just appear when you cast the spell?"

'Shit, shit, shit.' She knew more than he gave her credit for. Not that he knew everything about the spell, but he thought he would at least know more than Pansy did. Did he dare just lie and see if he could convince her otherwise? Why not, it wasn't like he had anything more to lose.

"No, I thought you knew that, everyone knows that." He watched her face fall and had to hide the grin that was threatening to take over. If he acted quickly he was going to get his way.

"Just bring two identical rings here this weekend and we'll perform the curse then."

"I don't need until the weekend, I'll come by tomorrow after dinner."

Barely twenty hours was hardly enough time to find a way out of all this, but it was better than nothing he supposed.

"Fine, tomorrow then. Leave."

"Ever the gentleman," she huffed, and headed towards the portrait. He made sure it had closed securely behind her before he slumped into the couch. He felt completely drained and defeated, and his head was pounding dully against his skull. He had one night of freedom before his words would contravene with his true feelings, and he would hurt the only one he ever cared for. Unless of course he could come up with a way out of it. He made a noise similar to a leaking balloon, as a feeling of hopelessness washed over him. It seemed like no matter what he did lately, luck was against him. He didn't see what would make this time any different. All he had was tonight.

Yes…he still had tonight.

He stood from the couch with newfound energy. He didn't even know where Hermione was, but he _had_ to find her. It was pertinent that he make the most of his last hours not tied to Pansy Parkinson. He would search all night if he had to.

He was almost to the portrait when he heard the click of a door handle from behind him. He turned on the spot and saw the Weasley girl leaving Hermione's room. Maybe his luck was changing.

"Night 'Mione. I'll be back tomorrow for further discussions on why you ran after Malfoy today."

His heart caught in his throat. So she had followed him to the infirmary…. _She did care._

He heard some muffled words coming from the bedroom that made the Weasel Wench laugh.

"Yeah right, like I would just drop something as serious as that just to talk about Harry's love for doggie-style. Hell no, we'll continue this tomorrow. Bye!"

The little fire-crotch stopped halfway down the spiral stairs when she realized the common room was occupied, to glare at Draco. Then continued on her way.

"Weasel," he acknowledged her in the usual manner.

"Ferret," she sneered back.

And that was all. She left without a backwards glance at him and he ran up the stairs two at a time. He stopped with his hand on the doorknob, took a deep breath and nervously ran a hand through his hair. He didn't know why he was so anxious all of a sudden. What was he afraid of, rejection?

With his blood pumping loudly against his eardrums, he shook off any foreboding emotions and stepped through the threshold. He was going to have this night, and his Hermione.

"I told you there's nothing to talk about," she said in her famous know-it-all air, thinking Ginny had returned. It was funny how something he used to despise her for, now only reminded him why he had fallen so hard for her. She was one of a kind, and wouldn't change for anyone. Not that she needed to, she was absolutely perfect just the way she was. He had just never realized it before because he had only seen her through his father's eyes and the Malfoy name. It wasn't going to get in the way tonight though. Tonight, he was simply Draco.

"I think there's plenty to talk about," he whispered. She gasped and turned in his direction, her eyes bugging out.

"Mal-Dra-Mal- Err… You're… you're ok," she stuttered, looking truly relieved. "I'm so sorry for yesterday morning. You were being so nice and I guess I was just afraid to let someone in, especially you of all people. And everything just happened at once and I thought I was completely losing my mind. But I've thought about it and I don't want to lose you too… Whatever this is I want it…I- I need you." She spoke the last part so softly that he barely heard her. He didn't want to talk anymore… She was breaking his heart.

"Shh… It's ok," he replied softly, diminishing the space between them in two swift strides. He encircled her shoulders with his arms and held her tight against his chest. She didn't withdraw, she collapsed into him, and he relished the feeling. They stayed like that until he felt her whole body trembling. He pulled back to look at her face. Tears were flowing freely down her cheeks and into her hands, and she was quickly brushing them away.

"I'm sorry," she sighed through her tears. "I honestly don't even know why I'm crying."

She looked up at him with her deep almond shaped eyes and smiled apologetically. He couldn't help but to smile back at her.

"You women and your waterworks," he muttered, his smile curling into the trademark smirk he wore so well. She laughed softly and punched him playfully in the chest. He caught her hand and held it against his pounding heart, holding onto her gaze as long as she would allow.

Minutes passed, neither one daring to move. The intensity became too much to take and Hermione's lids fell, shielding her from his penetrating silver eyes. She took a steadying breath, and he took the opportunity to pull her closer.

"You're going to get it, Hermione," he growled into her ear, nipping her neck before leaning back to stare into her eyes once more. She stared right back, mesmerized by the fire that had ignited behind his grey pools.

"Is that a promise?"she asked in a seductively mischievous low voice.

That was all it took for him to lose all self-control. His lips came crashing down on hers as he pushed her back onto the bed. There was no more need for words. They both knew what they wanted.

His tongue sought out the warm comforts of her mouth and she hurriedly obliged, parting her lips just enough to allow him a taste. He groaned into her as his tongue fought for control, gliding across hers before retreating, daring her to follow. He was strong but gentle, forceful but soft, and she was in love.

This realization frightened her and spurred her actions simultaneously, and she found she didn't care that she could never have him in real life. That her friends would never accept him and his family would never accept her… She could have him tonight.

He traced a finger across her neck and down to the valley between her breasts. She gasped into his mouth and deepened their kiss, which he took as a sign to proceed. He flattened his palm to cup the sizeable swell, kneading it through the thick fabric of her robes. He could feel his now hard length straining for release, and he ground it against her thigh for some kind of relief. Clothes were such a hindrance… but nothing that he couldn't take care of.

With much pawing and scrambling he finally had her down to her knickers. He drank in her creamy white skin, and was so transfixed by her almost nude form that he hadn't even noticed what she had done to him. He was completely undressed. Out of the corner of his eye he saw her wand rolling away from them on the bed stand and clanking to the floor…

"Cheater."

"Sue me." Oh she was seriously asking for it now….

He tore away the last remaining barrier and plunged his fingers into her wet core. She gasped and cried out at the intrusion. He pressed his thumb into her clit, and felt a shudder run through her body. He continued to press her nub and stroke her velvet slit until he had her moaning and convulsing beneath him.

"S-Stop… please… I- I want you inside of me when I… when I come…." She managed through her heavy breathing and the intense pleasure deriving from his skilled fingers. He didn't want to stop. He wanted to have her writhing and moaning his name, while he controlled every breath she took with the simple jerk of his hand.

"P-please.. I want you…."

He decided to heed to command and regrettably removed his fingers from her warm depths. They still had an entire night of this after all, and he didn't want it to end when it was really only just beginning. He nipped the soft skin of her neck, earning a soft hiss from his writhing beauty, before moving himself in position at her entrance and running his member up and down along the slick folds. He watched her bottom lip tremble ever so slightly and her eyes flutter closed, in preparation for what was to come. The nervous feelings that inhabited every girl on the brink of losing their virginity.

It was so surreal…. It felt like only yesterday that he was looking into that same face, telling her to relax so it wouldn't hurt as much. He had kissed her and she had cried out and bit into his lip. She may not remember, but he would never forget. This time would be different.

"Look at me," he commanded. She obeyed at once. Her swollen bottom lip was still trembling and he had to fight the urge not to take it into his mouth. He wanted to watch her, watching him as their bodies became one. Stare so deep into her soul that he would imprint this image in her mind, and she would never forget it- never forget _him_.

He pushed into her, stopping when he was met with resistance. She smiled up at him reassuringly, and he nodded down at her. She gritted her teeth and closed her eyes, bracing herself for the pain. He was so in love….

"Look at me!"

Her eyes flew open in an instant, and it was as if time stood still. An eerie cold washed over her. The backdrop of her room swirled and was replaced by metal bars. She saw Draco looking down at her, but he was different somehow. His skin was sickly pale and his hair stuck to his forehead with sweat and dirt. She wanted to brush it away but found her arms were stuck to her sides, fastened around the wrists. Panicking, she fought to pull free. Maniacal laughter rang in her ears, and red slit eyes bore down on her from every angle. She knew those eyes…

She blinked, and she was back in her bedroom on her soft bed. There was a sharp pain between her legs, but Draco was back, so it was ok. She pulled him to her tight, digging her nails into his back in her frantic attempt to make sure he couldn't leave her. She held him until the pain started to ebb away and into a dull ache, and even that was overthrown by a feeling of fulfillment. The tingling sensations overshadowed the horrible vision, and soon she was back to the present, and the act of giving herself to the man she loved.

He was gently driving into her with shallow thrusts, a look of pained concentration on his face. The pace was agonizingly slow, and could easily cost him his sanity, but he couldn't bear to hurt her any more. Hermione recognized the effort he was making and slid her hands down his back and over the smooth curve of his taut rear end. It was absolutely perfect, and she was completely lost to him. She thanked him by using all the strength she could muster to pull him deep inside of her in one rapid motion.

'_Oh Merlin help me…'_

It was too much. Her eyes rolled back in her head as heated pleasure soared through her entire body in reverberating spurts. Her toes curled as she cried out the name of her lover over and over again… Her walls shuddering around his throbbing member only allowed for a few deep and hurried thrusts before he too was taken over the edge and into oblivion. His seed spilled inside her heated entrance and his shaking arms gave out from the force. He collapsed on top of her, completely spent.

When their bodies returned from the heavens and their pulses evened out, Draco managed to roll himself over and back to the bed. He placed his arm across the soft mound of her belly and held her close in a protective gesture. She snuggled into him, still in a daze from the aftershocks of her first orgasm. For the second time, he had been her first. The thought made him smirk, but reminded him of something.

"Hermione?"

"Mmm hmm," she mumbled a sleepy response.

"Can you do me a favor?"

"Anything."

"Promise me you'll remember this."

She opened her eyes to give him a puzzled look. Her mouth moved to form words but he caught it with his own to stem the imminent flow of questioning. He put himself completely into the kiss, and found gratification in a whole new way. The pleasure was no longer derived from the feeling of tongues intertwining, but from the feeling of becoming one with another. He could have come right then and there all over again.

"I promise.. I could never forget you…" she whispered, breaking away from this kiss. Her eyes fluttered closed and she fell asleep almost instantly.

Draco lay awake late into the night. He didn't want to miss a minute of their time together, incase it was their last for a long while. He hardly blinked, just watched the beauty beside him as she slept. He wanted to memorize every eyelash, every freckle, and the soft curve of her cheek and pout of her lips. How every so often she would sigh contentedly in her sleep and nuzzle her nose against him. He couldn't leave her, leave _this_. He longed to go back in time and erase their painful past together. Every moment he had wasted when he could have spent it just like this… Why couldn't he have seen it before it was too late?

A soft orange glow began to peek through the window and settled itself on Hermione's sleeping form. The light seemed to illuminate her from within, and Draco found himself swallowing a rather lot as he looked down at her. He was going to lose his nerve if he stayed any longer. Gently, he pulled away from her. He could use the entire day to think of way out of the binding spell, and maybe he would be back with Hermione nestled in his arms by nightfall. It was this small ray of hope that got his limbs moving.

He leaned over to place a soft kiss on her forehead, and instantly went from not blinking at all, to blinking ten times as much as was normal. Blinking and swallowing hard. Fighting to move his feet in the direction of the door when the rest of him wanted nothing more than to stay exactly where he was.

"Don't forget…" he choked out. He closed his eyes in an attempt to stem the flow of emotions, and blindly stumbled out the door.

...

...

As always, HUGE thanks to everyone who has taken the time to read and review!!


	21. Chapter 21

A bell sounded throughout the castle, signaling the start of afternoon classes. Draco's stomach lurched and groaned in retaliation, but his pounding head overshadowed any feeble hunger pains. He was in the massive library, and had been since dawn. Why, he wasn't exactly sure. The library was just the place to go when one had a problem that needed solving. The problem was, that Draco had so many problems, he didn't know where to begin.

He had five books laid across a table in the far back corner. Why those particular books, he didn't know. They were just the first that caught his eye. One was on fishing with flobberworms, but the cover was a soothing sea foam green. At this point it wasn't like it mattered. He had accepted that he was screwed a long time ago. Now he was just trying to make the best of his shit situation.

He'd made two drastic decisions already that morning, in the form of two sparsely worded letters. Both were meant to be beneficial to Hermione, but he knew she would love him for one and hate him for the other. It had to be done though. He couldn't forget he had a mission that he needed to simulate the illusion of complying with. Little did the Dark Lord know, it was his own heir he was protecting, not the next Salazar Slytherin (or so he hoped). After that he hit a wall though, and was completely drained of ideas.

What he really needed was a plan, and a good start to that plan would be figuring out what he wanted. He knew that he _didn't_ want to be binded to Pansy, but at the same time he didn't want her blabbing about what she saw to anyone. A good way to ensure she couldn't do so was, unfortunately, the binding ceremony. Of course he could just obliviate her, which he was so longing to do. According to Pansy however, she already had a letter ready to send to his family and notes reminding her of the incident.

He had considered asking Goyle's girlfriend to do some digging around the seventh year girl's dorms, but he didn't want to risk her finding out what it was about, and Millicent had a big mouth- Millicent had a big _everything_. He couldn't take the chance of her gossiping. If his father ever got wind of him being anything more than sworn enemies with the Head Girl, well… he didn't really want to think about it. He knew the three months he had spent locked up and at the man's mercy would seem like summer camp compared to what he was capable of. He had seen girls being raped and murdered, too many to remember them all. Now it was only too easy to insert Hermione's face into the images, and his own lifeless body discarded in the background.

He couldn't let that happen. He desperately needed a plan. If Pansy was going to insist on the binding ceremony, then perhaps there was a way to tweak it in his favor, or fake the thing entirely. He tore his eyes away from his twiddling thumbs and headed to the shelves, for a book that might actually be of some use.

Twenty minutes later, he returned to his desk equipped with Marriage Rituals of the Seventeenth Century. It had taken him over six hours, but he finally felt like he was getting somewhere. Well, he was starting to get somewhere at least.

He scanned through the table of contents and his pulse soared- This book was _exactly_ what he needed. His eyes frantically skimmed the first page, pausing on a few promising lines.

_In February 1619, a new and highly detested law was passed, requiring unmarried wizards of pure blood over the age of fifteen, to marry into non-magical blood status: muggle, squib, half-blood or less... On the onset of the law, was a mad rush of the dignified pureblooded families to marry their daughters to respectable pureblooded partners. Such was the desire for a pureblood male, that even the seemingly unattractive and dimwitted bachelors were obtaining a bounty upwards of 10,000 galleons. _

Draco smirked at this, picturing an auction style setting, in which women were bidding on men resembling Crabbe and Goyle. They may be his friends, but there was no denying their hopelessness in the looks department. After a moment he reminded himself that disturbing mental images of two Neanderthals, were not helping him. He shook his head, letting the visions subside, and returned his attentions to the page in front of him.

_Magical beings unable to marry in time to avoid the law, participated in a traditional wedding arranged by the ministry. The Minister at the time, Frankford Fingleton, had high hopes for the couples, but was sadly disappointed by the substantial infidelity rate. In response, an amendment was instated in 1620, forcing the ministry-approved matches to include the Eternus Fidelis Binding Ceremony in addition to the traditional vows._

_The Eternus Fidelis charm is extremely complex magic and can be interpreted and used in many different ways. Simply put, one aspect of a contract is magically adhered to, as long as a second part is knowingly followed. Most commonly, the witch and wizard promised to live together as a married couple and bear children, as long as they remained faithful to one another._

_The charm begins with a blood sacrifice of both parties, which is then mixed together and transfigured into the binding rings with the incantation 'Eternus.' The wizard then places the ring on their partner's finger, and declares their promising vows. Generally, these were variations of the following:_

_'With this ring, I thee promise to live out my life, in sickness and in health, with the one who shall wear its twin. We will be together in every aspect of the word, and the fruit of our loins will follow in our footsteps to repopulate the wizarding world. If ever do I find myself in the arms of another woman, let the ring on my finger be a permanent fixture, molded into my skin, and may I never find happiness in love or life as long as I shall live.'_

_Once the rings were in place, both parties would hold hands, and together state the incantation 'Fidelis.' The rings would glow red, and could not be removed until the promising vows were broken. The loyal partner would know, as their own ring would fall from their finger, never to fit again. The mutinous partner would forever have to wear the ring as a tattooed fixture, stuck in the contract for all eternity._

_Even with the severity of the binding charm, the infidelity rate soared. So much, that in 1622, yet another amendment was instated. The new law allowed the partner who remained faithful to have their disloyal husband or wife beheaded. They would simply go to the courts with their bare hand, and their partner would be arrested and sentenced to death. At this point, the vows were altered to include the line 'Till death do us part,' as to make sure both parties were aware of the consequences to their actions._

_In 1630, the Eternus Fidelis Binding Ceremony was outlawed. The marriage law, originally instated to repopulate the wizarding world, had failed miserably. The children born from the law were hardly enough to compensate for the numerous executions. _

This was all well and good, but it only really proved that the Ministry of Magic had always been thick. The Fingleton character even made Fudge look like cunning intellectual.

Draco continued to flip through the pages, pausing every so often to take in a few passages. It wasn't until near the end of the book, that he found an illustration that caught his eye. There was a man with his arms around two women. One was a stumpy old witch holding a child, and the other an exotic looking beauty. The man and the attractive woman both had superior grins on their faces, and there was a caption on the bottom of the page.

_'Actions speak louder than words, words speak louder than actions, or they can speak the same, depending on the words that you speak.'_

Well that made sense…. Not. He scanned the adjacent pages looking for some kind of explanation, but all he found was a list of the ways muggles incorporated wizard sayings into their society. Frustrated, he closed the book and slammed it down on the table.

He ran through the words again, picturing the page in his mind. What did it all mean? He wracked his tired brain for some kind of clue as to the significance of the statement.

_'Actions speak louder than words…._' The man in the illustration had a beastly wife and an attractive lover. Draco was about to have a pug-nosed fake girlfriend and a lover who he wasn't allowed to have any kind of interaction with if he didn't do some quick thinking. He knew the quote was the key to having the best of both worlds… it _had_ to be. He bet Hermione could riddle it out. She wasn't there though, and if she was they definitely wouldn't be examining some old book… he would be thoroughly examining her lips… all of them. '_Ugh not helping!'_ he groaned, feeling the blood from his head rush to inflate his nether region. He just needed to focus, _'Focus!_' and it would come to him.

_'…or they can speak the same, depending on the words that you speak.'_ He had to tell people he was dating Pansy, but he didn't have to _actually_ date her. There would be no kissing, or touching, or carrying her bag involved in the matter- only words. Perhaps it would work the same in the other half of the spell. Instead of wording his 'vows' as 'being horrible to Hermione,' he could change them only include _saying_ horrible things, or _doing_ horrible things. He only needed one or the other to satisfy Pansy.

So what did he want with the woman he loved… words or actions?

...

"Where have you been all morning?" Harry asked as Hermione sat down across from him at the Gryffindor house table. She looked over at her friend's concerned expression, and felt the guilt solidify in her stomach. Truth be told, her head had been so bogged down with visions of the previous night that she hadn't been able to leave her bed, let alone go to class. The air around her when she had awoken had smelled of sweet expensive cologne, and she hesitated to even breathe heavily in its presence, not wanting it to dispel too soon. Draco had completely invaded her senses, and the area between her legs would never be the same. She had still been able to feel the heat and wetness residing there when she woke up, and just thinking about it was making her uncomfortably moist all over again. She wanted to bask in the glow as long as time would allow.

After she heard the first bell of the day, she had attempted to pry herself from her bed. That's when she saw the note Draco left on her pillow. The note she tore her eyes from only minutes prior so she could head down to lunch. The words it held were now engraved in her mind, leaving a tingling warmth where previously had only been an empty void.

_'Whatever happens, I love you.' _

It was such a simple statement, but completely overpowering. She didn't even care that he had left her in the night. He loved her and she loved him, and that was all that mattered. She couldn't wait for classes to end, so she could show him once again, what kind of affect he had on her. The thought made her have to squeeze her thighs together, to stem the small jolts of pleasure pulsing in her aching sex.

"Hermione?"

"Wha- Yes?"

"Where were you all morning? It's not like you to skip class," Harry continued his inquiry.

"Oh yeah…" she nervously stammered a response. She caught Ginny staring at her out of the corner of her eye, and struggled to form an excuse. "I wasn't feeling well and I slept in."

Ginny was openly gawking at her now, and Hermione ducked her head down to her plate in defense. She knew her face must be projecting a look of sheer bliss, which was not something one would associate with 'not feeling well.' She couldn't help it though, she was in love. If only her friends were more accepting of their mortal enemy, she wouldn't have to lie to them.

"It's no big deal, you didn't miss much. I can show you my notes later if you want," Ron said, completely throwing Hermione off guard.

"Oh… Thanks Ron," she smiled at him.

"Look 'Mione, I know I've been a jerk, it's just that-"

"It doesn't matter," she quickly cut him off. "I've known you for over six years, I'm used to it by now." She saw him blush a little at her words, like the old Ron would do. She missed him more than she realized. "So are we still friends then?" she asked.

"Of course we are! You'd think that after six years you would know that I'll always be there for you," he spoke in earnest. The sincere response and her raging hormones left Hermione feeling completely overwhelmed. She burst out in happy tears and flung her arms around Ron's freckled neck, sobbing uncontrollably into his tatty school robes.

He patted her back with slight awkwardness, receiving a few odd looks from their fellow diners.

"Shh… err… there, there."

"Oh I'm sorry," she said, pulling away with puffy red eyes and glistening cheeks. "I'm a right mess lately, aren't I?"

A flurry of 'No's' and 'Of course not's' in forced serious tones came at her from her two male counterparts, but Ginny remained silent, her expression unreadable. Then her long red hair was brushing Harry's shoulder as she bent to give him a light peck on the cheek, and she left the Hall without a backwards glance. Harry and Ron didn't seem to notice anything out of the ordinary, and were on to talking about plans for winter break, which Hermione was shocked to hear was only a little over month away.

Of course, she was supposed to remain at school to fulfill her duties as Head Girl, along with the head boy. They would have the entirety of the castle at their fingertips, what with most of the student body away with their families…

And that was all it took for the tingling sensation to return full force, coating her knickers with a liquid reminder of who and what had been inside of her… and how big and incredible and just absolutely iamazing/i it had been. Her arrogant Slytherin prat- the perfect gentleman. It was so surreal. He seemed to know her body so well, just how to touch her, and kiss her, and drown her in every inch of his creamy white skin.

_'Ugh, I've got it so bad.' _

"Hermione, are you ok?" Harry asked, breaking her out of the daydream.

_'I'm pregnant, I don't know who the father is or even if there is a father, and I'm in love with the son of a convicted Death Eater. My life should be showcased on a crappy daytime talk show.' _

"I'm fine," she shrugged. Surprisingly, she found that it wasn't a lie. She really did feel fine, good even. Ron was acting normal around her again, she could easily have imagined Ginny's cold demeanor, and Draco loved her.

_He loved her._

She felt light as air, with a newfound understanding of girls like Lavender Brown and their infatuation with the opposite sex. Of course, she could sooner picture herself having Trelawny for tea, than calling Draco Malfoy by some cutesy pet name, but there were other ways to show him how she felt. More _physical_ means by which to express their love. And like clockwork, the down under waterworks were back, making her squirm in her seat, feeling uncomfortably hot all over.

_'I've got it SO bad.' _

Her pregnancy and her pile of secrets would have to remain in the dark a little longer. She needed one more night of mindless, heavenly oblivion, before she faced her predicament. Her world would come crashing down in a matter of seconds the instant her pregnancy was out in the open, and she was in no hurry to confront it. One more night couldn't hurt… right?

...

"Draco?"

"Go away," he growled sleepily, drifting off without a second thought to the screechy voice that was disturbing his slumber.

"I brought you a sandwich. I haven't seen you at meals all day."

He made an unintelligible sound that wasn't even meant to be comprehensible, more like a warning grunt in an attempt to regain peace. Instead of the coveted resounding silence though, he received a rough poke to the side. Fate didn't want him to sleep, but that didn't mean he couldn't put up one hell of a fight.

"I know you're awake. You can stop pretending so we can get on with the arrangement."

If the promise of food couldn't lure him from his forged state of unconsciousness, then the alleged 'arrangement' didn't stand a chance. The grey backs of his eyelids were all he wanted to see. He didn't want to know where he was, or how he had gotten there, or whose finger was incessantly prodding him. Ignorance was bliss. Nothing could make him move, not even the painful quirk in his neck from the odd angle he was lying in.

The book he was using as a pillow was roughly yanked out from underneath him, and it took a lot of flailing arms to prevent his face from smacking against the table. And so he was up. There was a sudden flood of thought and he groaned, his arms fell out from underneath him and his cheek met with wood. He ignored the sting.

_'Words or actions…'_ It all came back to him in a torrent of hopeless feelings.

He hadn't found a way out of the binding, instead his weak body and mind had shut down and let sleep overtake him. So he had found a way to make the spell slightly less severe, but what did it matter? Hermione would hate him, if she didn't already, and if she did she would just hate him more.

What was done was done though. He had tried to do the right thing for her, and it left him feeling miserable and empty. Maybe he deserved it. He was born the son of a Death Eater, a pureblooded, sadistic, racist, arrogant follower of a sick and twisted cult, and maybe he was destined to be just that. Perhaps no matter how hard he tried to thwart Voldemort's plans and follow the small thread of 'good' he had in him, his past would catch up and lead him on a predetermined path.

He wanted it to all be over. He was sick of thinking, and feeling, and loving, it only led to disappointment, and possibly his own horrific death. He used to find enjoyment in bringing others down, especially muggleborns, blood traitors and anyone that even raised an eyebrow in his direction, but he had changed. He was putting someone else's wellbeing above his own for the first time, and in return he was getting Pansy Parkinson.

Fate was a bitch.

"There," Pansy said, slapping her hand down on the table, her shrill voice making his hair stand on end. "Two identical rings. Let's get this over with, I already told Mil that you came to your senses and want me back."

"You don't know what you're doing Pansy. You could probably get a real boyfriend if you tried, one you didn't need to blackmail," he said softly, his tone cold but dejected. He took out some of his anger by sending a nonverbal vanishing spell at the rings. Pansy didn't seem to notice.

"But it wouldn't be you. Since our first year it's always been me and you. It's meant to be. I was hoping that after a little while of being with me you'd see that and I'd get my old Draco back. Your father told me I'd be welcomed into the family, unlike some dirty mudblood, we actually can be together. You're the one that doesn't know what they're doing!" she shrieked. She really did have a horrible voice, but did she have a point?

"Don't talk about my father.'

"Fine, then don't fight me. Let's just do this now, or I shall use my free time to spread the word of the Malfoy and the mudblood."

He hated her so much, but he didn't want to fight anymore. He was done, defeated… scared? Scared of the repercussions of what he had done. He had slept with Hermione Granger, and subsequently fallen in love with her- a love doomed to fail. She wasn't supposed to be anything but his ticket to freedom and a uterus for the heir of Lord Voldemort, but she was so much more. He didn't deserve her…

It was past midnight by the time Draco returned to his room, a black and silver entwined ring on his pale finger. He felt defeated, dead inside, like an empty shell with no soul or purpose in life. He imagined that his was how one would feel after a Dementor's kiss.

Through the portrait entrance the first thing he saw was a full head of brown curls, quickly shuffling her slipper clad feet in his direction. He didn't expect her to be awake. He hoped she wouldn't have been awake.

Her face was flushed, and she was positively glowing. A huge grin split her features and her eyes lit up when she got close enough to encircle him with her arms. He cringed.

"I've been worried about you! You weren't in classes or at dinner and I couldn't get away from Harry and Ron for the life of me. Where have you been?"

"I-"

"Oh it doesn't matter," she interrupted him. She was now playfully running her fingers across his chest, looking up at him with her deep chocolate eyes.

_'Oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no….' _

"I've been thinking about last night all day you know… I fell asleep when we were just getting started…"

He gulped as she stood tiptoed to place a soft kiss on his lips. She had a coy glint in her eyes, and a half smirk on her rose colored lips… the lips that would be the death of him. He closed his eyes, trying to fight the urge to ravage her right then and there. He knew that it was selfish to continue this. He would only hurt her more, as he wasn't allowed to send even one nice comment her way. He had chosen actions over words. He had six years of practice saying horribly insulting and degrading things to her, but he knew he could never physically hurt her. He had thought he had made the right decision.

She kissed him again, and he felt his resolve quickly fading away. His body was responding to her luscious lips. His hands sought out the gentle curve of her ass, pulling her into him whilst his tongue deepened their kiss.

It was selfish, and wrong, and felt way too good to stop.

"My room?" she asked, breaking away but breathing rather heavily. He only nodded, wordlessly following her up the spiral stairs. In her room she giggled softly at her own forwardness, fanning her face as she leaned against the bed, straddling him against her. He was already hard for her… it didn't take much.

_'She's going to hate you…' _

It was selfish, but he couldn't hold back, especially when he felt her hips grind against his hard length. His hands snaked their way into her trademark bushy hair, tilting her head to meet him in a bruising kiss. His tongue plunged into her hot mouth, twirling and teasing her until he felt her shudder and moan. It was the point of no return, and as he fell over her onto the silky duvet cover, trailing soft kisses down to the nape of her neck, he knew there was no going back.

So he kissed her, and devoured her, silently expressing what she meant to him. Slowly peeling off the layers of clothing that separated him from his prize, until she was left with only her lacey knickers, and his erection was threatening to tear through his own. His hands went to the buttons on his shirt, and hers to his pants. Through her frantic movements to disrobe him, she still managed to be careful around his throbbing member, only lightly brushing it with her hand here and there. It was driving him crazy with need, and the devilish smirk on her swollen lips told him that she was doing it on purpose.

Only when he was completely undressed did he finally get a chance to really look at her, taking in every inch of beautiful radiant form.

"God you're ugly…" he said in a low husky voice, dripping with pure molten lust.

"What?!" she shrieked back, with a tone bordering on confusion and amusement. "What has gotten into you?"

"Nothing that getting into you can't fix…" he growled. He chanced a quick look at his hand. The ring was still a ring. He had definitely made the right decision. She seemed to melt at his words, and he was tempted to test the limits of the binding spell.

"I'm going to ram you so deep… and hard…over, and over, and over again…" he said sensually, slipping his hand underneath the band of her knickers to run a finger along her slick folds. She was so wet for him that he easily slipped into her hot sheath, making her cry out. He continued to tease her, coating her with her own juices until he felt her muscles start to tense around him. He used his free hand to tear away her panties, and planted his mouth directly on her throbbing clit.

"Draco… you don't have to… Oh no… Oh _Merlin_…" she moaned.

He lovingly caressed her nub with his tongue, all the while driving his fingers rapidly in and out of her. Her hands fisted the sheets and her toes curled in a futile attempt to withhold her orgasm. She was slightly self-conscious of his position in her down under area, but the pressure he was creating was too much. Every flick of his tongue threatened to send her over the edge. Forgetting her inhibitions, she loudly cried out her release, feeling the spasms wrack her entire body. Her hips bucked and her muscles clenched around his fingers, soaking him with her juices. He held out until the very end, raising himself only when he felt her legs slacken, falling open against the sheets.

"Wow…." Was all she could manage through her heavy pants. He only smirked, nipping and sucking his way back to her flushed face. With one hand he spread her legs wider and positioned himself at her entrance. She nodded up at him. If she was afraid this time, she wasn't showing it. He caught her lips with his, distracting her with a kiss, just like he had during their real first time. His tongue slowly snuck out to gain entry into her waiting mouth, mimicking the actions of his rock hard member between her legs. She didn't cry out in pain this time, only moaned in sheer bliss.

Once he was in to the hilt, he had to break away from the kiss to focus solely on not embarrassing himself. She was too tight to be allowed. Even with 'sex god' status, he didn't stand a chance. Their hips rocked together, quickly finding a rhythm and increasing the pace to meet their needs. In and out he drove, removing his glistening cock until just the head remained, then plunging back into her, burying himself entirely. She met him thrust for thrust, and it didn't take long for the gentle gasps and cries to be exchanged with rabid moans.

He couldn't hold out, her tight hot sheath was taking him to another world. Her muscles spasmed around him and her nails dug roughly into his back, mixing blood with the sheen of sweat. With a few last frantic thrusts, their orgasms hit them simultaneously, and they collapsed, crying out each other's names as waves of pleasure wracked through their bodies.

Draco let the last tremors of his orgasm subside before he dared congratulate himself. He had done it, and she didn't hate him. Maybe he could have his love and his sham relationship, maybe one never had to know about the other…

"I love you, Draco," she whispered suddenly, looking straight into his silver-blue orbs.

'_Oh no…_' he thought. Saying he loved her would definitely set off the ring.

He closed his eyes, swooping down to catch her parted lips with his in a silent attempt to _show_ her how much he loved her. She responded, and he relaxed, deepening their kiss. In a matter of moments he had reignited the passion and lust between them, and once again traced frantic bites along her collar, down to the valley of her bare chest. He could taste the salty sweat on her burning skin, and it only fueled him on further.

"Draco?" Her voice was soft from sheer exhaustion, and from the way his tongue swirled around the taut bud of her nipple. He ignored her, continuing to lick and suckle her soft skin until words would fail her, and she would forget what he knew she wanted to hear.

He was failing. Her hands were reaching for him, pulling him up so he would have to look at her.

"I- I said I love you."

He tried to crane his neck down for the last kiss he so desperately needed, but her palms caught his chest, and she forced him to stay above her. He could see the lust turn to sadness in her eyes, which were already welling up with unshed tears.

"Didn't you hear me? I said I love you, Draco… I- I thought you loved me…" her words were begging and pleading with him to say it. A verbal assurance that he shared her feelings, and that she wasn't crazy. She _needed_ to hear it aloud. She needed to prove to herself that it was real, and that the impossible had happened… That Draco Malfoy loved her…

"Don't you-?" she choked out.

He only managed a strangled sort of squeak. A single tear escaped and slid down her temple, but when he reached out to brush it away, he was roughly pushed off of her.

"No!" she shouted, quickly losing her composure. "What is wrong with you!? What is wrong with _me_!? I should've known better… I'm so _stupid_ I actually thought this was _real_!" She was now sobbing openly, and all he could do was watch.

"Hermione I-" he started, but stopped before he went too far and triggered the spell. Instead he lightly brushed his fingers along her damp cheek, in an attempt to comfort her.

"Don't you _dare_ touch me! Don't _ever_ touch me! Just GET OUT!"

Again he tried to hold her, but it was only provoking her anger.

"Get. Out. NOW!" she yelled, pummeling his chest with her fists while he desperately clung to her. "OUT!"

Before he could react she had forcefully shoved him away from her, and fled towards the bathroom. He could hear the sounds of violent heaving replacing her anguished cries. He tried hard to block them out to prevent his own emotional and physical breakdown.

He didn't know what to do, so he mechanically gathered his discarded clothing and proceeded towards the door. His head was devoid of all thought. He felt numb. He never knew numb could be so painful…

He paused with his hand on the knob, seeing the note he had left her lying on top of her school bag. He placed it back on her pillow, then hurried to leave before he could do anything else he would regret.

_**Because that's what people do**_

_**center they leap, and hope to god they can fly**_

_**because otherwise you just drop like a rock**_

_**wondering the whole way down, why in the hell did I jump?**_

_**but here I am, falling**_

_**And the only one that makes me feel like I can fly...**_

_**is you. **_

-Hitch


	22. Chapter 22

**And I can't breathe without you here**

**For fear I'll catch your scent.**

**And we both know how bad I get.**

**I don't do well or dwell in change.**

**And don't you know that**

**Three small words could make this all okay?**

**-Just Surrender**

Late into the night, Hermione stumbled blindly back to her bedroom, the smell of sick invading her nostrils. She was shaking and hiccoughing slightly, but finally out of tears, which was lucky really, since the rims of her eyes were so swelled and red the remnants of the salty drops left a burning, stinging sensation against her raw flesh.

Her whole body ached as she crawled between the sheets that were in a state of disarray from the night's activities. Thinking about it caused yet another sniffle, the sickly vile smell making her nose crinkle in disgust. It wasn't caused by one of her bouts of 'morning sickness,' it was from something deeper, something that wrenched her heart from behind her breast and tried to evacuate it forcefully, before the excruciating pain it was radiating became unbearable. She had never in her life wretched like that, like it was the last thing she would ever do.

She had brushed her teeth after of course, but the scent still lingered and so did the horrible burn of her esophagus. It left her feeling like a pile of mush, with a mushy brain wondering vaguely how her jellied legs had made it to the bed.

Her eyes were closed before her head hit the pillow, but the crinkle of crisp parchment alerted her to the presence of more than just the soft pillowcase. Not feeling the strength to do more than lift her head ever so slightly, she reached a trembling hand up to remove the offending paper from underneath her.

There it was. The note that had made her heart skip a beat not even twenty-four hours before, now made her cringe in anger and hurt. Her sweaty fingers smudged the ink, ruining it. No, Draco ruined it. Draco ruined it because it was all a lie, a front of a decent human being, nothing more.

She sat up in the bed, the anger serving as a second source of energy. The parchment now crumbled into a little ball in her fist, her knuckles white from the effort. Surprisingly she felt a little better. If Draco thought a recycled note was enough to cover up the fact that he had the emotional capacity of an acorn shell, and that he couldn't manage to say three little words, he was sorely mistaken. He could _make_ love to her, but he couldn't tell her he loved her? It made no sense. No, what really didn't make sense was how she had let him do that to her, when deep down she had to have known that it wasn't real. He was Draco Malfoy. He was her enemy. He was a liar.

She unfurled the paper that had caused such a vast range of emotions in so little time, only to briskly rip it in two unequal pieces. She took them to the bathroom, and after a few more heartfelt tears, she was left with only a small pile of paper shreddings that were no longer recognizable as anything to do with the Head Boy. She threw them into the air, watching them with wide blank eyes in the large mirror, as they floated like snowflakes to the floor around her feet.

Back in her bed, the heavy blankets tucked securely around her tired form, the brief satisfaction was quickly ebbing away into sadness. Without the letter she had nothing to remind her of her and Draco's time together, and while that fact should have made her feel contented, in actuality it did quite the opposite. It was like a souvenir. Without it she was more likely to forget, so why didn't she feel better now? Why did she feel like she had torn out her heart all over again?

Some time later, she wasn't sure exactly how long, but it couldn't have been too long because it was still pitch black outside, she had managed to convert her sadness back into anger. Anger was much easier to deal with. It was all his fault. He was the one who had charmed his way into her pants, and made her believe he had been sincere. And he had been a very good actor. He had made her feel things that she never imagined one could feel from such a taboo act. She knew that she should have been smarter and not fallen for it, but he shouldn't have been such an asshole. So that was how she concluded that it was all his fault, and she was livid.

And so she fell asleep grinding her teeth, and woke up with the inevitable headache, her jaw clenched and her lips set in a scowl even before a thought of Draco Malfoy had a chance to cross her mind.

Hermione Granger was pissed.

Draco woke up that morning not feeling much of anything. Surprisingly, he wasn't even all that upset by the previous night's events anymore. That was, until, he walked into the bathroom and felt crumbled paper underneath his bare feet. He recognized it in an instant as the note he wrote to Hermione. Suddenly a wave of emotions hit him hard, threatening to knock him off balance. The 'incident' was not going to be forgotten like he had hoped.

Maybe he should have told her the truth about what Pansy was making him do, instead of not saying anything when she had told him how she felt. At the time it didn't seem like a good idea. Draco's experience in the bedroom had taught him many things, one of which was 'never mention a former lover when the new one's naked underneath you.' He imagined a lot of 'lying wanker' insults mixed in with some frantic swipes at the jewels. He had to do something though. His little letter definitely hadn't gotten through to her. It seemed as if Hermione did not like his note. Actually, it was quite obvious that she hated it.

He was hurt. No, he was angry. Angry at himself for loving her. Angry at the world because he _couldn't_ love her. But mostly, he was angry with Hermione, because she just didn't get it.

...

After the most horrible day of classes in the history of shitty classes, Draco decided he couldn't wait for Pansy to cave to her whore instincts. It was time to take matters into his own hands. He found Blaise right after the last bell, and motioned for him to follow into an empty classroom.

"Is it true you're dating Pansy?" Blaise immediately asked, trying and failing to hide the disgust from his voice.

Draco opened his mouth to tell Blaise 'Fuck no she blackmailed me into it and it's all a sham,' but what actually came out was a simple "Yes." Blaise's eyes widened in shock, and Draco immediately opened his mouth to rectify his words, but no sound was heard. No matter how hard he thought the truth in his mind, he just couldn't verbalize it.

"Give me a quill," he ordered his dark friend. Blaise looked even more confused at this point, but did as he was asked. Draco snatched the self-inking quill from Blaise's hand, scrambled to pull a spare scrap of parchment from his bag, and hurriedly attempted to write 'I am not dating Pansy, you fuckwit!' He handed the paper to Blaise, waiting for the news to sink in so Zabini could help him take Pansy down.

"I don't get it, what happened to Granger?" was all Blaise had to say. Scowling, Draco took back the parchment.

"Do I have to fucking spell it out for you!?" he sneered, brandishing the note in his friend's face. "I – AM – DATING – PANSY – YOU – FUCKWIT!" he paused, taking in what he said, and how he had read word for word from the paper he wrote. "Fucking bloody Hell!" he groaned, ripping the useless parchment down he middle and tossing it to the ground. He could see why the gesture was so appealing to Granger, it was oddly satisfying being destructive.

Draco's mouth and hand continued to refuse to cooperate, no matter how much he swore and threatened. He even tried to write "I'm lying," on a desktop, but the quill either wouldn't move or the ink wouldn't disperse.

It was a seriously unexpected setback. He was counting on at least having Blaise on his side. Somehow it had never occurred to him that pretending to be dating Pansy would mean he would have to pretend to _everyone_. He just thought it would go around the school, and he would play along, but that he would have a close personal circle to confide in. What about Hermione? If he couldn't at least tell her about the binding spell, there was no way in hell she was going to forgive him. Especially once she found out what else he had done…

He had underestimated the severity of the charm. A lot. Once he read all that 'words and actions' bullocks, he stopped thinking of the charm as the end of the road, and more like a loud, screechy, puggy pothole. Yes, he was completely fuming mad at the fact that he hadn't been able to outsmart Pansy 'Dumb-Fuck' Parkinson _completely_, and because he hadn't managed to avoid Hermione until he dealt with the P.D.F.P situation. Still, now that he was away from both women and he'd had a chance to clear his head a bit, he'd regained some hope. There had to be something he could do.

"I need a favor," he started, relieved that what he meant to say was actually what came out. Blaise nodded the go-ahead, staring at his best mate like he was an escaped loony bird.

'_I need you to go snog Pansy.'_

"I need to- no. _Fuck!_ I need y-yuh- yearg! Fuck! I need to snog- BLOODY FUCKING SHIT!" he shouted, slamming his fist down on the teacher's desk so hard that dust rained down on them from the ceiling and walls. He was breathing hard, almost sweating even._ 'Disgusting!' _ His face was flushed and he felt like he had no control. Malfoy's were always in control damn it! He tried to calm himself. He just wasn't concentrating enough because all he could think about was Pansy's smug pug face since she had gotten her way. '_Concentrate… you can do this…' _ Blaise was his friend, he was intelligent, and he would get Draco out of this mess.

_'I just need you to snog Pansy a little, no questions asked.' _

"I just need Pansy- YICK! FUCK! I just need a snog-ARGG! Fucking fuck shit! You have to make out with me-EEK- What the fuck was THAT!? FUCK!"

It wasn't working. He supposed a real 'boyfriend' wouldn't tell their best mate's to snog their girl, no matter how revolting they may be. Fucking _words!_ Draco was losing the battle -- to himself no less.

_'Well I couldn't have chosen a more worthy and handsome man to go down to…' _he shrugged; a last sentiment of the captain on his sinking ship. He tried to put on the impassive face to mimic his friend, becoming slightly embarrassed by his uncharacteristic and insane outbursts. He didn't want to lose though. He had already lost to Pansy once, and that was more than enough. He needed to end it now, and on his terms. He tugged at the ring on his finger. It didn't budge a hair. One more fleeting moment of insanity couldn't hurt…

"The_ ring_ Blaise, look at the ring!" he yelled, sticking his hand right in Blaise's face, so he was sure not to miss the gaudy article. Breathing hard, he chanced a glance at his dark friend, who looked seriously appalled, and maybe a teensy bit concerned at the show Draco was putting on.

"Ok mate, it's a _man_ ring. It's erm… nice," Blaise replied calmly, in his deep and annoyingly superior tone.

"Fuck." Draco spat under his breath.

"Shit." He kicked over a chair.

"Bitch ass cunt!" He hopped on one foot, nursing his bruised toe.

"Merlin's rotting fucking pussy!" He stalked around the room, lashing out at any of the wooden furniture that dared cross his path. "Shit. Fuck. Whore. Prick. Fuck…"

Finally, when he was satisfied that Filch would be cursing his beloved cat before he had repaired the extensive damage, Draco stopped and inspected his handiwork. Not a desk or chair lay unturned. The only thing left standing in the room, beside himself, was Blaise, who seemed to be stunned speechless, and on the verge of joining the furnishings on the floor. Maybe Draco had gone a little overboard…

Feeling foolish again, he straightened his robes, and plastered the most dignified scowl he could muster up on his flushed face.

"Not a word Zabini," he spoke seriously, pointing to the wreckage. Without waiting for a response he spun on the spot and headed for the door, trying to make his robes billow out behind him for dramatic effect. The bottom edge caught on a stray nail and he stumbled over his feet before the fabric ripped and set him free. "Fucking bullshit!" Not exactly the Snape-like exit he was going for.

...

Hermione was equally unsuccessful at her mission to rid Draco from her thoughts. It had been over two weeks since 'it' happened. Two weeks since Draco had touched her, spoke to her, or even looked in her direction. Two weeks of running on autopilot, of hollow laughs and forced conversations. Two weeks keeping everything brewing dangerously close to the surface, and Hermione was starting to lose it. Between hiding her ever blossoming belly and the way her heart panged with every blonde head of hair that came her way, something had to give. She was kidding herself if she though she could keep up the charade of normality forever.

Ron and Harry hadn't noticed that her smiles no longer reached her eyes, but Ginny was definitely acting different towards her. She wasn't being mean, but she wasn't her usual talkative self either. She was actually quite polite, too polite almost. That wasn't what was most unnerving though, it was the fact that Ginny was always _looking _at her. And since Hermione tried to spend as little time as possible in her own common room, to avoid the man who wouldn't look at her, she seemed to be living in the limelight of Ginevra Weasley.

Still, somehow Hermione continued to go through the motions of life, not letting Ginny's strange behavior distress her. With everything that had happened, Malfoy hit the hardest. She hated to admit it, but she knew it was true. He seemed to have moved on, though he looked about as happy as she felt. Rumor had it that he and Pansy Parkinson were an item, so it was no wonder he appeared so miserable.

_ 'They deserve each other,'_ Hermione thought bitterly, inconspicuously glancing at the Slytherin table to watch Draco stab his breakfast sausage.

The next few days he was rarely seen without his pug-faced counterpart, resulting in Hermione's first successful ploy at wandless magic. She had set Pansy's Charms exam on fire, consequently losing Slytherin 10 points in the rare occasion that Professor Flitwick reprimanded a student. Pansy would also get a zero for the assignment. Hermione tried not to look too pleased with herself, which was easier than she thought, the fact that Malfoy still wouldn't acknowledged her slightly marring her small victory. It was enough to keep her sane for the rest of the week though, the visions of Pansy frantically shrieking and fanning her charring exam, a few wayward ashes finding their way into her overdone hair, making up for times Hermione would catch the wench with her hands on Draco's arm.

The first Saturday of December was also the first major snowfall, and a Hogsmead weekend to boot. Harry wasn't going. He had a meeting with ex-professor Snape at Grimmauld Place about the trip to retrieve and destroy the 'Hufflepuff Horcrux,' as they were so originally calling it. Ron was tagging along, but they thought it best if Hermione stayed behind. More people would notice the absence of the Head Girl than they would Ron, and they didn't want anyone to suspect that the Golden Trio was off on any Anti-Voldemort quests.

So Hermione and Ginny were left alone in the Gryffindor common room, patiently awaiting the return of the two boys. It seemed like everyone else had taken advantage of the opportunity to venture out of the castle, and the silence in the big empty room was deafening. Hermione was reading, well, she was staring at a book in an attempt to read. She could feel the red haired girl's eyes boring into her, but every time Hermione looked up, Ginny quickly averted her gaze. She couldn't be more obvious… or annoying.

A few painfully silent minutes later, Ginny cleared her throat, and made a sad attempt at 'small talk.'

"So.. it must be nice having your own quarters, even if you have to share part with Ferret Boy."

"Yeah…" Hermione awkwardly stammered a response. "It is."

A few more uncomfortable moments passed. Hermione briefly reflected on how strange it was. Ginny could normally talk the ear off a Hippogriff, and Hermione was no boring mute either. For some reason, she just didn't know what to say. She could confront the fiery Weasley about her atypical behavior, but in all honesty, Hermione had enough on her plate, so she didn't really want to know.

"You know, Fleur and Bill are having a boy," Ginny said out of nowhere, presumably as another attempt to end the uneasiness between them.

"Oh, that's wonderful!" Hermione replied, making a serious effort to sound as enthused as she knew she should be, her own problems with the Head Boy and such making it almost impossible to muster up a truly happy feeling for someone else.

"Yeah… Bill's ecstatic, but he says Fleur wanted a girl… " Ginny trailed off, her eyes never leaving Hermione's face. Just when Hermione was seriously becoming aggravated, the red haired girl lowered her gaze, staring fixedly at her hands, which were fighting each other in her lap. Hermione recognized the gesture. Her friend's hands were a visual confirmation of an inner battle the girl was having. Eventually, Ginny's fingers clasped and stilled, and she resumed speaking.

"Yeah… so… What are you having?" she asked conversationally. Hermione immediately started choking on the small amount of saliva in her mouth. For some reason, this made Ginny groan and sink back in her seat, covering her face with her hands.

"Oh no! No 'Mione, no! You were supposed to laugh at me and tell me what a preposterous question that was! I didn't want to believe it. To be honest, I don't think I did believe it! Just tell me it's not true. _Please_ tell me it isn't true! _You_ can't be pregnant!"

Hermione didn't know what to say. So far she hadn't had to lie to her friends, not _really_ anyways, because they never asked her. Outright lying to Ginny's face about something that she actually semi-kind of wanted to tell, and that the girl would inevitably find out about anyways, didn't seem like the right thing to do. Instead she asked the burning question on her mind, simultaneously telling Ginny all she didn't want to know.

"How did you find out?"

"So it's true?" Ginny asked softly, her eyes wide, sad, and questioning. Hermione slowly nodded, feeling completely overwhelmed all of a sudden.

"Are you sure?"

"Well… I took a couple of tests…" '_A couple hundred…' "_And I've been experiencing all the symptoms. So yeah, I'm pretty sure."

"But you haven't seen Madame Pomfrey yet?" Ginny asked, almost sounding hopeful.

"No…" Hermione replied quietly, the guilt rising in her throat and causing her voice to crack. For the health of the 'thing' growing inside of her, she knew she should have went to the school nurse as soon as she found out about it, not three weeks after the fact. She couldn't quite explain how she felt though. She knew that she was pregnant, but her logical side was still there, telling her it wasn't possible. She may not be a virgin anymore, but she was when her body started changing, and the tests started coming out positive. Throughout her whole life, her logical side reigned supreme, making it almost impossible for her to block it out completely in the current situation. Until she could do so however, she couldn't entirely accept the 'thing.' It just didn't feel_ real. _

"So you're not _sure_ you're sure. There is a chance it could be something else, right?"

"Err…" Hermione didn't know what to say to that. It was nice that her friend was being optimistic instead of just really, really mad, but she wasn't prepared for any of this yet. She needed more time before it was all out in the open. Ginny had other plans.

"Let's go," Ginny ordered, getting up and heading towards the portrait hole.

"What? Go where!?" Hermione asked, dreading the answer.

"The infirmary. C'mon." When Hermione didn't move, Ginny walked to the couch, grabbed her by the arm, and pulled.

"No, Ginny please. I'll go tomorrow I swear! Please let's just wait. Harry and Ron will wonder where we went off to if they come back and we aren't here." She begged, planting her feet on the floor. Ginny continued to drag her from the room, no matter how much Hermione pleaded.

Outside the double doors that housed the hospital wing, the panic really started to settle in. It was all happening too fast. She couldn't go in there. Not knowing what to do, she plopped herself down on the floor, making her limbs as lead-like as possible. Ginny was not in the mood to be tolerant of Hermione's childish behavior. The little Weasley was definitely her mother's daughter.

"Hermione, I'm not giving you a choice in this. Considering the circumstances, I think I'm handling this very well to be honest. It wasn't easy to hear that my best friend, who so happens to be like the epitome of perfection in everything, is pregnant! And I've been sitting on this information for over three weeks, not knowing what to do about it," Ginny spoke seriously, peering down at Hermione while she pouted on the floor.

"Ginny, _please_. What if I'm expelled for this?" she choked out, tears welling up in her eyes.

"You won't be. Remember the 'sex ed.' speech? She said she would help, not reprimand. She never asks too many questions either, which is more than I can say if you don't get in there right now. I'll let Madame Pomfrey confirm things before I interrogate you I suppose… "

Hermione quickly wiped her eyes, knowing that Ginny was doing the right thing, as much as she hated to admit it. She took the hand that her friend was offering, and grudgingly got to her feet.

"It's ok 'Mione, you may not even be," she said reassuringly.

"Yeah…" Hermione replied in false confidence, using all her self-control to keep from running straight to the Forbidden Forest and beyond. She wished she had some of the hope that Ginny did, but her gut told her that Madame Pomfrey was only going to validate what she already knew to be true. And that would _really_ make it true... too true.

"Do you want me to go in with you?"

"No," Hermione immediately made up her mind. She had gotten this far on her own, she didn't need Ginny there for this.

"I'm going to wait out here for awhile to make sure you don't skive off. Just get it over with. I don't know how long you'll be, but if Filch comes around and says something, I'll see you in the common room."

Hermione only managed a curt nod, while Ginny nudged her through the doors.

"Wait, wait, can't we just talk about this before rushing into something so irrationally!?" The words burst out of her, and luckily the doorframe was there so she could brace herself from being pushed any further.

"In!" Ginny commanded severely.

"But-"

"No buts Missy!"

Hermione glared at her friend, who was refusing to back down, not that she really expected anything less from a woman that was related to Ron. So she decided to concede, bit her tongue, and took a step through the doorway.

"Go!" Ginny said exasperatedly, shooing Hermione in with her hands. Hermione turned to do as she was told, making it a whole two steps, before she spun around to face the red head again, who rolled her eyes accordingly.

"Wait, just one more thing."

"Just the one?" Ginny asked sarcastically. Hermione scowled back, but asked her question anyways.

"How did you find out?"

"Oh yeah. Well someone sent me a note about it," she said, digging in her pocket and extracting a small square of parchment. "I thought it was a joke at first until I realized you were trying to make Hogwarts' robes into fashionable weekend attire. Then I thought there might possibly be some truth to it. Here." Ginny handed over the note, which Hermione took with a shaking hand, instantly noticing the thick expensive paper it was composed on.

_'Hermione's pregnant._' was all it said. She took in the small, cramped but neat handwriting. She would recognize it anywhere…

_'Malfoy!'_

Anger seared through her veins, and she felt the heat arise in her face. Seeing the nurse seemed so insignificant when compared to disemboweling the Head Boy with a severing charm, starting in the groin area…

"Go!" Ginny interrupted her thoughts, sending her through the doors with a final shove. Hermione actually gave in and went almost willingly, deciding to save her energy to wage war with Draco Malfoy. The infirmary was empty, and her footsteps echoed loudly in the cavernous stone room, alerting Madame Pomfrey of her entrance. The nurse hurriedly bustled over to her. Hermione gulped.

'_This is it…' _

...

Hours later, Hermione slowly slumped down the thankfully empty hallways for the privacy of her bedroom. She didn't want to see her friends, or anyone for that matter. Even if Dumbledore suddenly rose from the grave, she would have snubbed him. She had spent the entire afternoon being poked and prodded and examined in places that were not meant for an old lady to be up close and personal with. The nurse had fussed over her profusely, making her drink all kinds of horrible tasting, supposedly 'nutritional' potions. She was given informational books, vitamin potions, and a card reminding her of her next appointment, which was to be on the first day of winter break.

After all that, Hermione almost felt relieved. She had gotten one major milestone out of the way, which was a start. Madame Pomfrey really didn't ask many questions, and promised that she wouldn't be in trouble as long as she dealt with it responsibly. She actually thought for a minute that it would all work itself out. That was until the nurse pulled out her wand, and ordered Hermione back on the bed. She covered the gentle mound of Hermione's stomach with a clear, gooey gel, and started running the tip of her wand in circles across her belly.

It didn't take long for a ghost-like image to rise up from the jelly, suspending itself a few inches above the 'baby bump.' The nurse explained that it was an exact duplication of the fetus. Size, shape, everything the same, only it was transparent and seemed to be made of wisps of smoke. Hermione had swallowed hard and bit her lip. Suddenly, it felt real- too real. Both women continued to stare silently at the image. Madame Pomfrey whispered an incantation, making the projection revolve in place. It had all gone downhill from there…

When she finally returned to the safety of the Heads' Quarters, her eyes immediately narrowed at the sight of Draco Malfoy, the one she had to thank for the days events.

"You!" she screeched, stalking towards the couch he was so casually sprawled out on. He slowly looked up, feigning indifference, even though his insides were squirming. This was the closest they had been since he had been inside of her, but the look on her face and volume of her voice suggested that this encounter was not going to be quite as much fun. He was still stuck in the Binding spell with Pansy, so there was pretty much no possibility of him being able to sooth her. He figured he had two options.

Option One: Keep his mouth shut while Granger let out all her frustrations on him. Pelting him with insults and curses until he ran from the room as an emasculated, blistering blob, possibly sporting a new set of moose antlers.

Or Option Two: Rise magnificently to the occasion, matching her insult for insult with the grace and ease only a Malfoy could achieve.

After careful consideration, he chose Option number two. He preferred to keep his manhood and his reputation, even if neither one was doing him much good lately. Besides, unless he wanted to spend the rest of his short life as Pansy's man candy, he couldn't say anything nice to Hermione anyways. He might as well do the thing right.

"Yes, me Granger. Try not to flood your knickers," he sneered.

"You told Ginny. How could you do that!? This wasn't you're business to tell!" Hermione shouted, fresh tears threatening to spill over.

Shit. So she knew about the letter he had sent to the Weasel girl. Didn't she see that he had actually done her a favor? No, of course she didn't. Oh well, she would realize that it was for the best soon enough. In the mean time, there was no reason he couldn't continue on with Option two.

"Because you may not like it, but you are having a baby! A baby that needs you to care for it no matter how long you continue to ignore its existence," Draco spat, his cold eyes not even looking at her. _Forcing_ himself not to look at her.

"You're wrong…" she replied solemnly.

"No I'm not. If I didn't do something you would've just walked around like nothing was out of the ordinary until you went to the loo and pissed out a screaming, crying,_ living_, child!"

"No, you're wrong…" she said softly, her voice starting to tremble slightly.

"Enlighten me Granger, how am I wrong?"

"Because I'm not having a baby… I'm having _two _babies! Two little things growing inside of me that were conceived long before the _two_ times I've ever had sex! Enlighten ME, Malfoy!"

Draco was speechless, and it had nothing to do with the binding ring on his finger.

Twins?

...

...

Everyone who reviewed, thank you SO much, you guys keep me going with this story. I love reading your reactions to what's happening with it, because I never know what people will think. So thank you!!

As always, please review!


	23. Chapter 23

"You wished to see me, my Lord?"

"Yes, yes. Come in Severus," came the unmistakable hiss of Lord Voldemort. The former Potions Master took note of the slight rise in pitch on certain syllables of the welcome, and inwardly cringed at what it meant. Either the Dark Lord was very, very happy about something, or feeling particularly murderous. It was truly a fine line between the two.

"Did you hear? Turns out, the use of the mudblood was better served than I ever could have imagined."

Snape raised an eyebrow in confusion, but it was unnoticed through his thick sheets of hair. Not to mention the fact that the Dark Lord's back was turned, facing the hearth of an enchanted blue fire in the corner of the otherwise dank and decrepit room. The coiled form of Nagini lay there, creating a flickering shadow that concealed Snape's lower half.

"The Granger girl, my Lord?" Snape asked in barely a whisper.

"Very good, Severus. Yes, Miss Granger is actually the proud womb of not one, but two heirs to the noble bloodline of Salazar Slytherin."

Snape's utter and total shock was masked only by his superior skills at Occlumency. Hermione Granger was pregnant by Voldemort!? How was it possible!? And more importantly, how had it all happened right under the ex-professor's hooked nose? Snape quickly cleared his throat to ensure his voice from cracking when he responded. His attention to simple details such as the tone and pitch of one's voice were what had kept him alive for so long.

"Oh, my Lord?" he asked, adding the perfect hint of a questioning quality to his words.

"Yes, you see. The little mudblood had the honor of being my whore this summer, and the poor girl doesn't even remember it. Pity." He spat as a twisted attempt at a humorous afterthought. Snape didn't know how to reply. He was disgusted an appalled, not to mention a little bit worried that this was the first time he was hearing of all this. He had to inform the Order, but first he would fuel his curiosity this one last time. He knew it would no longer be safe to return to the Death Eater Headquarters again, he could tell that much from his not so warm welcome. The Dark Lord still wasn't looking at him.

"Memory charm?" he decided to ask when nothing else came to him.

"Obviously," the Dark Lord replied with a sneer. "Administered by your dear friend, Lucius. Didn't he tell you?"

"N-no, my Lord," Snape managed to respond. He couldn't believed he was left in the dark, by Lucius Malfoy no less. Lucius wasn't even in the Dark Lord's inner circle any more, as far as Snape was aware. The blonde had always confided in him, trusted him… Snape actually considered the man a close acquaintance. What had changed?

"Good, good. I see Lucius hasn't wavered his loyalties. Although, don't you think he should be in your debt? After all, it was you who ensured that Draco would have a spot back at Hogwarts, in the coveted position as Head Boy. You remember how I ordered you to see to that appointment?"

"Yes, of course my Lord," Snape quickly responded, panic starting to settle in. "My Lord I have never wavered in my loyalties. In fact, I believe myself to be your most loyal, your most dedicated servant of them all! I gladly risk my life to bring you information on the Order. I- I killed Dumbledore!" he finished, instinctively taking a step back. His hand gripped the air where his wand should have been. It was considered bad form to possess a wand during private meetings with their Master. Now, choosing to adhere to this unspoken rule seemed incredibly foolish.

"That you did Severus, that you did…" Voldemort hissed softly, slowly, menacing. Snape was frozen to the spot, his feelings of forebodement increasing tenfold. Perhaps his stint as a double agent was nearing its end even sooner than expected. Would he make it to an apparition point without being caught, without a wand, and with the most deadly, evil sorcerer in the world on his tail?

Just as he was thinking of his impossible escape, a strong wind interrupted the stagnant air and the metal door slid shut behind him with a loud, echoing clang. Snape's expertise in the matter of indifference ensued that he didn't even flinch, though inside his mind was a completely different story. He needed a way out, and soon.

The Dark Lord continued to ignore his guest, and instead began conversing with the snake, in the soft, but eerily high hiss Snape had come to recognize as Parseltongue.

Out of nowhere, a rickety wooden chair appeared in the middle of the room, and Snape felt himself being pushed on all sides. The air was forced from his lungs as the pressure increased. He groaned in pain while he felt his body being drawn to sit on the chair, his legs and arms bending in unnatural ways until he was firmly planted and at the mercy of the cruel man in black robes, who was still facing the dying blue flames. Snape struggled to release himself, feeling weaker by the minute as his oxygen-deprived brain began to slip. His eyes rolled back into his head… The last remnants of life seeping from his pores.

Everything was black, but the pressure was gone. He gasped for breath, shaking and sputtering. The cool air quenched his parched lungs, and rekindled his need for escape. Nothing but fear was holding him to the chair now. Did he dare make a run for it? The Dark Lord still had his back turned on the proceedings, and the fire was no more than a pebble sized blue ember. It was now or never…

And like clockwork, the second he made his bid for freedom, a sudden cold engulfed him around his legs. It slowly slithered upwards, a heavy package of muscular imprisonment. It made its way around his lap, and then his chest, tightening to the point where his pale skin was dragged across bone while the large form continued to wrap itself around the body of the spy. His arms were now pinned to his side, rigid against the chair. The most he could do was look away, so he wouldn't have to face the head of the snake. He could tell it was right by his ear, as the faint hissing was abnormally loud. It even drowned out the sound of his heart beating against his ribcage, and Lord Voldemort chuckling ominously in the background.

"Severus, Severus, what's your hurry? We have much to discuss. Now, where were we?" he asked the wall, tilting his head slightly to the side, as if sincerely pondering the question. "Oh yes, don't you think it peculiar that the only thing I've asked of you these past months was for Draco to be instated as Head Boy?"

"No, my Lord. I- I have always thought my underlying duties were to keep you informed on the movements of the Order. I-"

"Is that so, Severus?" Voldemort cut him off, spinning around on the spot and facing his captive at last. "If you insist that that is indeed the case, then what have you told me of interest since the demise of your dear Dumbledore?"

The red eyes of the Dark Lord were boring into his mind, and Snape had to fight to block him, while coming up with a believable alibi.

"My Lord I am not the Secret Keeper for the Order, so it is impossible for me to divulge their whereabouts! However I-"

"Tsk, tsk," Voldemort paced, silencing the stammering Potions Master. "You of all wizards should know better than to underestimate me. You murdered Dumbledore, and with his death instated you, and all your other little Order friends, as Secret Keepers. So, I'll ask you again. What have you told me of interest?"

Snape gulped, closed his eyes, and concentrated hard. This couldn't be the end. Not now that he had just gained such vital information. He tried again for an excuse, _anything_ that he could pass for the truth.

"Moody! Moody placed jinxes all over Headquarters. There was no way I could have said anything. Surely you can understand this!?" Snape pleaded, his eyes raking their surroundings for emphasis.

"No, I'm afraid I can't. That is beside the point though. You don't have much time left I'm afraid, and we still have so much to talk about."

Snape could do nothing but observe as the Dark Lord stilled his movements, only to pull out his wand and roll it around between his skeletal fingers. He didn't dare speak, just waited for what was to come. He didn't have to wait long, though he almost wished he had.

"How did you discover my horcruxes?" Voldemort asked conversationally. Whatever Snape was expecting, it wasn't that. It was anything _but_ that. They had covered their tracks so well when scouting Helga's grave. Every single detail was planned out to perfection. How could they have been caught? Unless…. Could this inquiry simply be a shot in the dark?

"My Lord, I don't understand. You are already immortal, why would you need a horcrux?" he asked, feigning naiveté.

"Not one horcrux, Severus. Seven. As you are already well aware. Or are you going to tell me you have been staking out our dear Founder's grave for a field trip? Last I checked you were no longer a professor. Seems the parents don't want Dumbledore's killer teaching their kiddies, no matter how much of a double-crossing, weak, pathetic and useless son of a muggle he may be," he snickered.

It was no shot in the dark. They had been caught. _Fuck_. There was no use in making up more lies for the Dark Lord to see through. This was the end of the road. Would anyone cry for his demise? Would anyone even know, and if they did, would they care? He had just met with Potter and Weasley, and they didn't expect to see him again until the last day of term. 'Looking forward to it,' Potter had gritted out sarcastically when they made the plan. He had devoted the better half of his life to fighting alongside Dumbledore, and now Potter, to bring down Voldemort, but he had never been particularly nice to them. Downright cruel was more like it.

"No time for sentimental thoughts now my friend," Voldemort intervened. "We still have much to discuss. You are quite the gifted Occlumens. I must say I had miscalculated your strength in the ability. I could always forcefully extract your thoughts and sift through them until I found something of use, but that would take time. And the truth of the matter is that I don't really need to know how you uncovered the horcruxes. The others are much better protected from nosy traitors, even Saint Potter doesn't stand a chance. I've made sure of it.

"I didn't feel the need with the cup, as the four Founders' graves hold built in alarms, conjured by Merlin himself. Did you know? Merlin hoped for peace after death, the fool, and for the descendants of the four great wizards and witches to look after one another. So the alarms were passed down from generation to generation. One such alarm, that I so happen to have in my possession, went off for the first time just a few short weeks ago." At this point, Voldemort's hand disappeared inside his robes, and emerged a moment later holding a metal chain. Dangling from the chain was a sinister looking charm, with a ghostlike tinge of green, almost glowing in the dark room. It was in the shape of a skull, with a snake in place of a tongue. _The Dark Mark._

"I never was much of an artist, but what better way to mark my followers than with the very relic that signifies my own, noble ancestry?"

"Very good, my Lord," Snape grunted. Nagini continued to coil around his chest and legs, tightening at random intervals, and slacking off just before her grip became lethal. Snape was quickly tiring of the arrangements. He was going to die, that much was certain. There was no way the Dark Lord would let him live after divulging such essential and confidential information. Somehow, it all seemed quite humorous. This was practically the Dark Lord's idea of a formal tea party; a little get together with an old friend to gossip about the ancient secrets of the wizarding world. This was probably the most open Voldemort had ever been, with anyone. Most Death Eaters would die to be strapped to the rotting old chair. How ironic that Snape was about to do just that. The thought was making him feel quite impulsive, reckless even.

"Do you mind telling your pet to loosen her grip before I become the proud father of interspecies mutants?"

"Funny, Severus. I never knew you had it in you," he chuckled sinisterly, holding the skull charm at eye level and examining it. "I'm afraid I cannot do that though. Dear Nagini is angry. You see, she does not deem you worthy to bear the Dark Mark any longer. However, this should appease her."

Snape ceased his breathy grunts and watched in horror as the Dark Mark trinket glowed red, and the one holding it chanted softly in parseltongue. The snake continued to circle around him in a deathly manner, its incessant hisses becoming louder by the second. Snape struggled to remain cool and collected while he waited for what was to come. He would not give the evil man the satisfaction of watching him squirm. His muscles tensed, the piercing hisses enveloping him on all sides. Louder and louder, consuming him, surrounding him…

And then it stopped, and there was only silence. Even the snake ceased to breath or move. The soft blue embers of the fire died without a sound, leaving the room in absolute darkness. Darkness and silence. Snape blinked in confusion but the scenery never changed.

Blinding florescent lights abruptly illuminated the room. Snape squinted at the ceiling, but the light seemed to be coming from the room itself, so he did not find a source. After a moment, his pupils contracted and his eyes adjusted to the intrusive brightness. He immediately noticed the Dark Lord's new seating arrangements. The former Tom Riddle was now settled comfortably on an ornately carved, high-backed chair with plush green velvet coverings, planted directly in front of Severus on his wretched little stool. The corners of Voldemort's mouth were slanted upwards, in an unnatural lipless smirk.

"Not to worry Severus, your climactic end is drawing near," he said, still wearing his mad little smirk. He opened his hand and set Slytherin's alarm on his lap. The little object was now pulsing rhythmically with a soft red light. The sight of it seemed to please the Dark Lord.

"Now, back to my horcruxes. Am I right to presume that you know how one is created?"

Severus tilted his head in a slight nod, scowling, and the Dark Lord continued.

"_Murder_. Murder splits the soul, and makes one more powerful than is ever conceivable."

"Powerful," Snape spat, mocking his former master. "A truly powerful wizard is just that- truly powerful. He is born like that. _Whole_. Seven pieces of yourself, and you still couldn't kill an itty-bitty baby. And Potter is nothing special. I've taught him for six years. He shows no great talent, no extraordinary capabilities. He's not even close to being top of his class. The only thing he has going for him is that he continues to defeat _you_."

"ENOUGH!" the Dark Lord snarled, his anger ignited at last. He glared at Snape for a moment, before letting his heavy breathing subside and turning his gaze to the glowing skull in his lap. When he looked back at Snape, the grin had returned.

"True I have not been able to kill off Potter yet, but as you can see, I am still alive, and as powerful as I ever was. So he has not been victorious either. Besides, killing is just another part of life, it would have been a waste not to gain from the feat. Of course, murder is not the only way one can die… and the soul is not the only part of one's self that can be split," the Dark wizard hissed silkily. It seemed Lord Voldemort had gotten to the part he really wanted to discuss. His eyes seemed to come alive by the end of the statement. Severus didn't want to know what could make the Dark Lord look so sickeningly happy.

"Suicide, Severus. Murder splits the soul, and suicide splits the _magic_. The knowing and purposeful taking of one's own life can rip out the magic from another. And once the magic has left a body, it needs to immediately locate a new place of residence before it fades away. It will either rein habit the origin, or if it senses a connection to another being, say, by _blood,_ the magic will unite. And do you know what happens when two times as much magical energy is consumed in a single body?"

Snape's chin hit the floor, he couldn't help it. It was all too much to take. Double the magic under the control of that evil and sick excuse for a wizard would be nothing less then Armageddon for the entire world. He didn't respond to the question.

"Power. More power than you can possibly imagine, and all at my mercy. So you see, it won't matter that Potter has uncovered the horcruxes, fake or otherwise. An entire army of Potters and mudblood sidekicks couldn't defeat someone with twice as much magical prowess, especially magic that descends from the great Salazar Slytherin himself."

"Didn't they teach you math at that muggle orphanage you grew up in?" Snape taunted. Reckless no longer described his mood, downright insane was much closer to the truth at this point. "_Half_ your magic will have descended from Slytherin, because _you_ are a Slytherin descendant. The very last one, thank Merlin. So unless you have a spare brother lying around somewhere, I suggest you recalculate."

Instead of the multiple rounds with the Cruciatus curse Snape was expecting, the Dark Lord only laughed. A high-pitched, cold, cruel laugh that rang off the walls and made the greasy hair on the back of Snape's neck stand on end. The Potions Master was unaware he had become such a comedian in his old age.

"Do keep up that smart little mouth of yours, it will make your death all the more entertaining," Voldemort sneered, glancing down at his lap. Snape followed his line of sight, and was anxious to see the red glow of the little charm was becoming stronger, and pulsing on and off much more rapidly than before. Snape shuddered, but had no intentions of keeping his tongue in check.

"My death doesn't change the fact that you are the last of the Slytherins."

"Were you not listening to a word I said earlier, Severus? Mudblood Granger is carrying _two_ descendants of Slytherin in her unworthy womb. Over the summer holiday I fabricated an ingenious tale about wanting an heir, and I used Draco as my little pawn in the matter. He ate it all up, of course, never gave it a second thought. He is just as weak-minded and pathetic as his dear old dad. Why would I, Lord Voldemort, want an heir? I am immortal. I don't need someone to live out my good name when I pass, or play flying games in the park with. The thought of having to care for something for fifteen years before it can be of use completely disgusts me. And what then, when it finally becomes of age, what is it to me? Competition? There can be only one ruler of the wizarding world, and Slytherins will always fight for the top, no matter whom they have to bowl down in the process. It's what sets us apart from the rest, makes us superior.

"But with twins, I can have the best of both worlds. I can take the magic from one, and have the heir I never wanted. With double the magical ability no matter how Slytherin it is, it won't stand a chance against me. So you see Severus, I win. In less than half a year Potter and the Order will cease to exist, and the world will be at my mercy. You have failed," he ended with pompous finality. Snape was about to respond, but the sudden strong light coming from the Dark Mark charm caught him open-mouthed. It was no longer blinking, just glowing brighter and brighter… mesmerizing…. Until…

"Time's up…. Goodbye Severus," Voldemort said calmly, smirking cynically at his prisoner. The translucent pale skin where an eyebrow should have been was raised in concentration, and the bright red light from the skull charm made his eyes glow alarmingly red. Snape's breath hitched in his throat, the silence in the room seemed to press on him from all sides. Waiting with bated breath for death.

Instead of the pain and cold he was expecting, he could feel his body relax and warmth flow through his limbs as the circulation returned. Nagini's heavy form uncoiled and slithered across the floor to her master. Just then, the strong wind returned and blew open the thick metal door. What was that about? They weren't really setting him free, were they?

"I want everyone to hear you scream."

No, they definitely weren't. Voldemort and the snake watched expectantly as the bright red light leapt from the little skull charm and floated through the air towards Snape, who was frozen to the chair in fear and anticipation.

When the light connected to the skin on the professor's forearm, it was as if time stood still. The three occupants of the room stared unblinkingly at the orb. Then, as if provoked by an invisible force, the red light was sucked into the inky black mark that signified Snape as a Death Eater. The mark grew blacker than night for a moment, and then, it was melting into his skin. It blazed like molten lava, and the world fell away. All that was left was pain. White-hot pain that bubbled under the surface of his entire body as the mark was wrenched from his skin.

He screamed loud and uncontrollably, writhing madly on his wooden throne of pain and death. He felt as if he had gone up in flames that licked and tortured each and every one of his nerve endings. He screamed himself hoarse until a blinding white light saturated his senses, and he was almost able to catch his breath.

That's when it happened. The length of his arm transformed into a large, festering, open sore that gushed blood over his legs and onto the dirty ground in torrential spurts. The Dark Mark was gone. The first time in over eighteen years that he would not have it staining his being, would be in death. It was the greatest gift Lord Voldemort had ever bestowed to one of his followers.

_Drip, drop_. The blood trickled down the hand of Severus Snape from the gaping wound and onto the floor.

_Tick, tock_. The crimson droplets taunted the dying professor- A makeshift hourglass counting down to the end of his life. The room spun around him as he fought for existence. His burning arm felt disconnected from the rest of his aching body as numbness overtook him. The end was close, he could feel it.

"Who?" Snape croaked out, his lids softly lowering from the effort to speak.

"Who what?" Voldemort snarled.

"Wh-who," he paused when he was overcome with a coughing fit. Blood flowed from his mouth and spattered across his thighs. When he was able to resume speaking, a slow moving drop of the hot liquid was oozing from the corner of his mouth. "Who… will k-kill… themselves… for you?"

"Why Severus, I thought you'd never ask. Draco will of course, be taking up the position."

"He… Would… NEVER!" Snape growled, his sudden rage urging him on his fight for consciousness. His godson was not going to be another victim of this sadistic Dark wizard.

"That is where you're wrong. Draco will willingly take his own life, I can assure you of that much."

Snape let out a breath that sounded distinctly like 'bullshit,' but also couldn't help but to ask; "Why?"

"Because, he will believe it is the only way for _her_ to live."

No, no, no… it couldn't be true, he couldn't let it be true! He needed to escape, to warn them all of the sick and terrible plan the Dark Lord had underway. But he could feel himself slipping even as he thought it. He felt so tired, and cold. Every breath he took was a struggle. The blood filling his lungs coated his mouth with a copper taste as it slowly drowned the life out of him.

"You're…. wrong…." He managed, smirking at the vile thing in front of him with something like triumph in his dark brown eyes.

Then darkness consumed. His lifeless body slid from the chair to join the pool of blood on the cold cement floor with a stomach-churning splash, followed shortly by a nauseating, final thud.

Lord Voldemort threw his head back and laughed maniacally, for a long, long time. The whites of the former professor staring blankly up at the evil wizard, his body unmoving.

Finally, when he seemed satisfied, he hissed in parseltongue to his pet, and the pair slinked around the wide circumference of the dark red pool, towards the gloomy hallway beyond.

He passed numerous dark and empty cells, and scowled inwardly. The cowards had all fled at the first sign of torture. Pathetic.

On he pressed, the darkness broken only by a few randomly placed torches hovering overhead. Finally he saw another life form. He was seated on a stone bench, his head in his hands, and his long, lank blonde hair falling over his face and onto his knees. Voldemort grinned evilly. Tonight was nothing short of perfection.

When the man realized he was no longer alone, he looked up, his mouth opening in surprise. He immediately leapt to attention and fell at the Dark Lord's feet.

"Lucius, dispose of the mess in the end room. Discreetly."

"Y-yes, right away my Lord."

...

Hundreds of miles away, Harry Potter subconsciously rubbed his trademark lightening bolt scar with the back of his hand. When the ache subsided, he turned over in his four-poster, nuzzling his face into the pillow. He was back to sleep within the minute without a second thought.

..

...

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As always thanks for reading and please review!


	24. Chapter 24

_Woke up today… to everything grey_

_And all that I saw just kept goin' on and on_

_Sweep all the pieces under the bed_

_Close all the curtains and cover my head_

_And what you wish for won't come true_

_You aren't surprised love, are you?_

_-Guster_

"We should tell McGonagall."

"We _can't_!" came a harshly whispered reply. "No one- not even the Headmistress- can know."

"But Hermione, it's been over a week!" Ginny argued back, frantically trying to keep her friend's attention, while the Head Girl continued to leaf through the bookshelves in the vast but deserted library. The little Weasley's temper soared. "I think you're letting your raging hormones affect your common sense! They could be anywhere right now… They could have gotten caught! They could be stuck in the tomb waiting for us to go rescue them! They could be-"

"_Don't_ say it, Gin. Harry will get them back. He's never failed before, and no one ever really said it would only take a day. I mean... they aren't exactly tackling a tapestry full of doxies," Hermione finished nonchalantly, expertly hiding her own worry that her friends had still not returned from their mission. She had promised Harry that no matter what, she was never to divulge their true whereabouts to anyone. However, every day that passed without any sign of them, made it harder and harder to keep quiet.

"But Hermione-"

"No more buts! This is why Harry didn't want to tell you in the first place!"

The second the words were out she regretted saying them. Ginny's face fell and her eyes instantly welled up. Hermione wrapped a comforting arm around her friend while she fought back her own tears that were threatening to scrape the surface.

"Shh… Gin I'm sorry… Harry was so happy to tell you everything… really… He hated keeping secrets from you," she whispered softly. "I'm worried too… We just have to have faith… And don't forget, Snape was with them…"

"That's it!" Ginny exclaimed, jumping away from Hermione's embrace, her watery eyes now glistening with hope.

"What's it?" Hermione asked, completely dumbfounded for once.

"Snape! We could just go ask McGonagall if she's seen Snape! If he's returned and Harry and Ron haven't, then we _can_ be worried!"

Hermione squealed with relief, and practically accosted Ginny with hugs, before grabbing her by the hand and tugging her along to the Headmistress' office.

When they walked back to the Gryffindor common room after their short meeting with McGonagall, they had a little less weight on their shoulders. McGonagall hadn't heard anything from Snape, which seemed like a good sign. A graveyard and a Horcrux were no match for a professor, the Boy Who Lived, and well… Ron.

The days leading up to Christmas dragged on in the practically empty castle, with no sign of her best friends or her ex-professor. Hermione's belly continued to grow under her robes, which she had started expanding with an elasticity charm she read about in one of the books from the Room of Requirement. She slept in the common room with Ginny. It was easier than risking the chance of running into Malfoy.

Pansy hadn't stayed over break, and Draco hadn't gone home, presumably because of his Head Boy duties. Hermione would glance at him during mealtimes, eating alone at the Slytherin table. Sometimes she would catch him eyeing her with something like longing in his steely grey eyes, but the second he realized she had noticed, his eyes would go blank and he would turn away from her. It was hard to be angry with him when he looked so sad and lost. She had tried twice to confront him, but both times he had plastered a sneer on his face and stormed away haughtily in the opposite direction.

She thanked Merlin that she had Ginny by her side. She told Ginny about the twins, and how she didn't know how on Earth they were conceived, while Ginny just held her and told her that things would be all right. When she confessed that she was petrified at how disappointed everyone would be in her when they found out, Ginny just shrugged and said 'that's their problem.' Hermione had never been so thankful to have someone be there for her. Even if the girl didn't believe Hermione 100 percent that she didn't know who the father was, she didn't let on. If only Ron and Harry could be so understanding, maybe she really could get through this… If only Ron and Harry would get back…

On Christmas Eve, Hermione and Ginny sat on the threadbare carpet of the Gryffindor common room, wrapping presents in silence. Their wand hands shook convulsively as they tried to conjure red ribbon into the perfect bow. Ginny gave up and threw her wand across the floor. Hermione followed suit a few minutes later. They said very forced 'goodnights' to each other when the fire went out around 1am, then Ginny trudged up to her dorm while Hermione spread a blanket on the couch. Neither one got any sleep that night.

The next morning Hermione awoke to a rather large pile of gifts weighing down her legs. She hurriedly wiggled out from under them and searched the cards. _Mrs. Weasley… Ginny… Parvarti… Lavender… Krum…_

Nothing from Ron or Harry. As the pile got smaller and smaller, she started to panic. Her friends had never forgotten her on Christmas before… unless something had happened to them.

_Mrs. Weasley again… Hagrid and Grawp… Mum and Dad…_

At the very bottom of the pile was one last gift, with no name and no card. Curiously, she picked up the small, yet ornately wrapped package and carefully slipped off the paper. She gasped when she saw what was inside. It was a delicate, white gold charm bracelet, interlaced with red rubies and canary diamonds. It must have cost a fortune! And the charms were so… strange? There was a pillow…

_The pillow/tickle fight…_

A pirate hat and a map…

_Halloween…Pshh… what a prat…_

A book…

_How many times did I throw one at his head?_

One light blue rattle crossed with a light pink one…

_The babies…_

And last there was a heart... a simple, silver heart with a green emerald in the center. Hermione clutched the bracelet to her chest as a tear slid down her cheek. She knew who it was from, though she almost couldn't believe it. Yes, it was obviously expensive, but it wasn't just the amount of money he spent on her that shocked her, it was the thought behind it. You couldn't just go into a store and buy a bracelet with those exact charms on it, each one had to have been hand picked. It was the nicest gift anyone had ever given her. And she didn't even think to get him anything…

"Oh wow Hermione, who gave you that?! It's beautiful!" Ginny said, taking a seat on a squashy armchair. Hermione had been so enthralled by the bracelet, that she hadn't even heard her come downstairs.

"My parents," Hermione answered instinctively. "Did you get anything from-"

"No," Ginny cut her off. "Did you?"

Hermione shook her head no. She looked over at her abandoned pile of presents. It didn't feel right opening the rest of them without her best friends there. It seemed that Ginny felt the same way.

"We could go down and get some breakfast," the red-haired girl suggested.

"Yeah…" Hermione agreed, though she had absolutely no appetite. She slowly inched herself off the sofa and they mechanically made their way to the portrait hole. With one hand on the knob, Ginny stopped and turned to face Hermione.

"Maybe we should just tell-"

"Gin I know how you feel, we just can't!"

"Well we can't just sit around doing nothing! We should at least go look for them ourselves!"

"Trust me, I've thought about doing just that… Let's just give them two more days, and if they still aren't back, then we'll-"

A sudden crash littered the air, as loud as if a bomb had gone off. Shards of colored glass flew at the girls at lightning speed. Without a second thought, Hermione grabbed Ginny and threw them both to the floor, covering their heads with their arms. A heavy thud announced the arrival of something large and heavy hitting the floor. The Head Girl quickly snatched up her wand, pointing it through the dust and debris, toward the figure on the floor. It groaned and slumped to the side, and then…

"Nice landing you tosspot, some quidditch player you are!"

"RON!" Hermione and Ginny both screeched simultaneously, sprinting towards the mangled blob at full speed.

"Oh my God! Are you ok?"

"Where have you been?"

"What took so long?"

"Why the dramatic entrance?"

After a flurry of hugs, kisses, and questioning, they let Harry and Ron get to their feet. Ginny inspected every little cut and bruise on the two men, then tapped them with her wand and watched as they instantly healed, while Hermione was busy repairing the shattered window pane.

"Honestly Harry, you could have hurt yourself! You can't just go flying through windows!"

"Obviously, 'Mione! It's not like we had much of a choice!"

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked, using a little less of the crazy voice than she had before. Harry pointed to a stick on the floor. She supposed it resembled a broom, though it was nothing you'd ever find in Quality Quidditch Supplies.

"Where did you get that thing?" Ginny asked him.

"It appeared in the tomb this morning, with a note that said 'A thief ye may be, but alone on Christmas, ye may not.' Imagine if we decided to go after Christmas like we originally planned! We'd have been stuck down there a whole year! Unless of course, the grave celebrates birthdays…" Harry trailed off, shuddering to himself.

"But how did the three of you fit on such a thing?" Hermione questioned.

"Three of us?"

"Yes, of course. You, Snape, and Ron."

"Snape never showed," Ron interjected. "The fucking coward… We probably wouldn't have been stuck down there for so long if he had. At least we still got the Horcrux."

"McGonagall said no one's heard from him," Hermione added softly.

"We probably won't for awhile. He'll be too afraid Harry will kill him. Mind you, he should be. I thought we were goners until that broom showed up this morning. We practically starved to death! Speaking of starving… let's eat!"

He spun around towards the exit with Harry on his heels, but Hermione squeaked "Wait!" and they halted.

"I think it might be a good idea if you showered first," she said, blushing embarrassedly. Both Ron and Harry lifted their arms and sniffed.

"I think you may be on to something there, 'Mione," Harry chuckled, shrugging apologetically.

Later in the day, when they had showered, eaten, and then eaten again, the four of them headed down to the Great Hall for dinner. Hermione's insides were squirming. She hadn't seen Draco at breakfast or lunch, and she had made up her mind that she was going to approach him and thank him for the lovely bracelet. She figured it was the least she could do, seeing as she didn't even get him anything.

Draco was already there when they arrived. He was eating alone once again at the Slytherin table, while the professors and a few scattered students sat together at the staff table. Hermione swallowed hard and continued on to join her friends and teachers. Draco hadn't even spared her a glance when they had entered, and she tried to pay him the same courtesy.

Halfway through the meal she couldn't stand it anymore. She dropped her fork, said 'excuse me,' and stalked over to where Draco sat alone with only a giant Christmas turkey and all the dressings for company. He didn't look up at her.

"Thank you for the bracelet, I know it was you that gave it to me," she said softly. He simply shrugged his shoulders and brought his fork to his mouth.

"You don't have to eat alone, you can come join everyone else, you know," she continued on, trying to keep her anger that he was ignoring her in check. He just kept eating like she wasn't there.

"Grr! You could at least acknowledge me! I'm standing right next to you!" Still she got no response from him. "Fine!" she shrieked, stamping her foot and heading back to her seat at the high table.

"What was that about?" Harry asked her.

"Nothing… I just felt bad with him eating alone is all…"

"Oh…yeah… Cracker?"

Grinning in spite of herself, she took the end of the cracker and pulled, revealing a spinning bowtie and a pair of woolly socks with puffballs on them. Harry laughed out loud at the disgusted look on her face, ducking when she chucked the socks at him.

She was so relieved to have him back, safe and sound, and with one horcrux down. She couldn't have asked for a better Christmas present. If something had happened to either of her best friends, she didn't know what she would have done. Especially with the huge secret she had been keeping from them. How would they react to the news that she was pregnant? Would they still speak to her? Would they believe her when she told them how she didn't know how she had gotten pregnant in the first place?

She would have to tell them eventually, no matter what. She would have to tell _everyone_ eventually. In a few months time it was going to be more than obvious, and she supposed they would take the news better coming from her mouth than from the entire school.

She glanced over at the Slytherin table, but Malfoy was gone. He had told Ginny and that had turned out ok. Maybe telling Harry and Ron wouldn't be _quite_ so bad. She figured it would be like pulling off a band-aid. Sure it hurts at first, but the anticipation of that pain was worse than the actual pull.

In a split decision she decided that sooner was better than later. She remembered Fleur over the summer, standing up and making the announcement to the dinner table. A second later Hermione was on her feet, tapping her glass to call for attention.

_Oh bloody hell, what am I doing?_

"Can I have your attention please? Thanks… umm…" She nervously glanced around at all the curious faces staring up at her. One standing out in particular was Ginny's stark white skin and bulging eyes. She quickly looked away before she lost her nerve.

"I umm… I just wanted to say…"

_I can't do this!_

"Happy Christmas!"

There was a moment of confusion before everyone raised their glasses.

"Happy Christmas."

Back in the common room it was finally time to open gifts. Hermione received a hand woven pink sweater from Mrs. Weasley, books from Ron and Harry, a translation book of over 100 languages from Hagrid and Grawp, makeup from her old housemates, and a diary from Ginny.

Even with all the lovely presents however, she was most excited to see Harry open her gift.

"Oh wow, Hermione…err… What is it?"

Huffing in exasperation, she grabbed her wand and tapped the little stone covered in funny runes. It instantly expanded to reveal-

"A Pensieve! Oh Hermione this is amazing!"

Hermione blushed scarlet and a huge smile emerged across her face. "It's a Pocket Pensieve, you can shrink it and take it with you. I figured you of all people would need one."

"Yeah… wow… Thanks so much 'Mione."

"You're welcome, Harry," Hermione replied, embracing her friend.

"Yesh, fanks Hershione," Ron chided in, his mouth full of chocolate. Hermione had given him a giant box of sweets. If he was lucky they might last the night at the rate he was devouring them.

The next few hours were spent laughing, playing wizard chess, and just enjoying being together again. Ginny and Hermione made the men recount every detail of their trip to the grave for the millionth time that day, and Ron even shared some of his candy. Only when they could barely move for exhaustion did Ginny suggest that they go to bed.

"I'll be up in a minute, Gin," Harry said sleepily. Ginny kissed him on the cheek before starting up the stairs to the dormitories.

"Hey 'Mione?"

"Yeah Harry?"

"What were you really going to say at dinner tonight?"

Ginny's echoing footsteps on the staircase ceased immediately, and Hermione's chin hit the floor.

"C'mon, you know you can tell me and Ron anything," Harry said, encouraging her to spill the beans. Ginny returned to Harry's side and put a hand on his shoulder, catching Hermione's eye as she did so. Slowly, the Head Girl nodded. It was time to tell.

"Harry, Ron… I think you two should listen to what Hermione has to say, but only if you can do so with_ an open mind_," Ginny spoke seriously but gently. Again, Hermione felt a wave of gratitude rush through her.

"What is it?" Ron asked. "Are you alright?"

"Yes… well… kind of. I'm pregnant."

"YOU'RE WHAT?!" Ron shrieked. Ginny slapped him on the arm and shushed him.

"Oww that hurt!" Ron yelled, slightly quieter though. "How in the blazing bloody hells did this happen!?"

"I don't know! I honestly don't know! First I was feeling sick. Then I got the idea to go to the Room of Requirement for some medicine and there was a pregnancy test inside and I took it and it came up positive! I swear I'd never even had sex! It just… happened!"

"Are you sure?" Ron asked.

"Yes, I went to the infirmary and Madam Pomfrey confirmed it. Confirmed that I'm doubly pregnant, actually. I'm having twins."

"WHAT!?"

"She's having twins! I believe the dictionary definition of that would be two babies. Stop being thick!" Ginevra scolded. Ron crossed his arms, looking sourly at his sister.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Are you sure you're sure?"

"Yes!"

"Oh…"

Silence filled the room. All Hermione could hear was her heart pounding against her chest.

"Maybe I'm the father!" Ron suddenly piped up.

"Ron I don't think that's possible," Hermione replied kindly.

"Just hear me out, ok? I… you know… quite a lot, right? And maybe sometimes when I'm done I'm all light-headed and stuff. So like… maybe I forgot to wash my hands after. And then I talk to you and touch your hand… and then you… you know… And voila! Babies!"

"Ron, I think you're over tired. It's made you delirious. Come on, I'll walk you to your dorm," Ginny said consolingly with an undertone of amusement. She grabbed her brother's arm and led him from the common room. This left Harry and Hermione alone together. He hadn't said anything since Hermione's revelation, he just sat there looking withdrawn from everyone. She cautiously approached him and took a seat beside him.

"Harry, you were very quiet through that whole thing. I know how disappointed you must be in me, and if you don't want to speak to me again I'll understand… Only, you're my best friend and I don't think I can do this without you by my side," Hermione said softly. Harry quickly shook his head.

"No… it 's not that. I could never abandon you when you need me the most, you should know that. It's just… well… I've been dreaming about you being pregnant… on and off since before school started and well… in my dreams… I was… happy about it," Harry shrugged, explaining things to himself almost just as much as he was to Hermione.

"Oh…" Hermione trailed off. That was not exactly what she was expecting Harry to say. "That's… odd"

"Yeah… it is."

The two sat in silence for a while, just thinking about what Harry had said. Neither could draw any conclusions from it though, except that maybe Harry had some Seer blood in his family.

"We should get some sleep…"

"Yeah…" was all Hermione could say. Harry helped her up and tucked her into bed on the couch, then placed a light kiss to her forehead.

"Night 'Mione. Try not to worry… Things will be ok. You'll see," he whispered.

"Thanks Harry. Goodnight."


	25. Chapter 25

Hey everyone, thank you all for your kind reviews :) Snapeluna I'm sorry if I confused you, I just switched into the future a little to quicken the pace a little. Actually the snape dying chapter was written like 8 months or so ago, and I only recently started writing again (this story has been on a f f. n e t for over a year). It was hard to pick up writing again to be honest after so long, and I had considered just stopping and writing a quick summary of how this ends just to be done with it, but instead I chose to keep writing but not adding in a ton of useless details just for some story bulk. So you guys still get a story and I get to spend more time away from my computer : ) Sorry if I confuse anyone in my desire to finish this story, but you can just ask me and I can explain things. Like Snapeluna, I mentioned before that Harry and Ron were running off to find the horcrux, and in chapter 24 they have been gone for awhile, I just didn't write in their departure specifically. So yeah instead of writing long parts of the story, I am going to start taking unimportant things and just turning them into a sentence or 2... If you are still confused feel free to let me know! Anywhoo...

...

_**Once had this dream, crashed down in Oz**_

_**Not black and white, but where the colors are.**_

_**I never dreamed that I would let her go.**_

_**-Guster**_

During breakfast on the first day that classes had resumed, McGonagall made the announcement to the school of Hermione's condition. They had told her right after Christmas, and after careful consideration, she thought it would be easiest to get it out in the open before the rumors started swirling about.

McGonagall had been wrong.

A month later and people were still staring. At the time, telling everyone seemed to be such a good idea. Or maybe Hermione just thought it best to do anything the Headmistress wanted, since the older woman said she was allowed to keep her position as Head Girl, as long as she asked for help from the prefects when she needed it.

Lately however, she just wanted to crawl into a hole and hibernate. She finally knew what it felt like to be Harry Potter. Girls wanted to touch her belly, _a__ll the time! If someone passed gas in class, everyone would turn to look at her and then snicker to themselves. Every week, contemplation of who the father could be would switch to a different person. Hermione had started telling people that the father was someone from home and that no one would know him, but that didn't seem to quell the constant gossiping students. One would think they'd have better things to discuss seeing as there was a Dark wizard on the prowl, but such was not the case._

And as if all that wasn't bad enough, to top it off, Pansy had returned from break with the smuggest look imaginable plastered to her pug-like face. She spent her time parading Draco around for all to see. They were rarely caught apart. Hermione heard him come back to their dorms late at night. She would bite her lip and pray that he was alone, though every once in awhile she swore she could hear a high-pitched giggle.

The only escape Hermione had from it all was her schoolwork and her friends. Ron and Harry had stuck by her. She had not expected them to be so ok with everything, especially not Ron, but they treated her just the same as always. Ron had taken it upon himself to even carry her bag to class and wouldn't let her reach for high books in the library. Ronald Weasley! The same Ron that had had a hissy fit in fourth year just because she went to a ball with Victor Krum, and Ron _loved_ Krum.

She didn't know whether or not she should be grateful or concerned. When she had confronted him about it, he just shrugged and told her that there would be plenty of other times for them to fight and not talk to one another, and a war against Voldemort was not one of those times.

She supposed in a world where virgins could get pregnant, even something as crazy as Ronald Weasley maturing was possible.

Perhaps Mrs. Weasley had something to do with Ron's out of character behavior. Hermione had personally owled her to tell her, before she found out from word of mouth. The letter she had gotten in return was one of the hardest things she had ever had to read.

_Hermione dear, I don't think I know what_

_to say to that. Bringing a child into the world_

_is a wonderful thing, only in your case, I feel_

_a child would be taking away something equally_

_as wonderful. Hermione, you have the most_

_beautiful mind out of anyone I have ever known._

_You could have changed the world. You could_

_have done anything you set your mind to._

_I'm not disappointed in you. No, and I'm not going_

_to give you any lectures, because obviously it's_

_a little late for that. I'm just… sad. Motherhood_

_is not an easy thing to go through, especially_

_alone and at your age. I know you're as strong a_

_witch as they come, but please **don't try to be a**_

_**hero on this one.** Use your friends, ask for help,_

_and any time you need me, just know that I am_

_here for you. Looks like I'll be having three_

_grandchildren this year. Fleur is due in less than_

_a month! Thank Merlin, I can't take the complaining_

_anymore! Good luck to you, with everything._

_Love,_

_-Molly _

It was worse than if she had sent a howler. Though Mrs. Weasley claimed to _not_ be disappointed, disappointment rang off her every word, and she hadn't even been mean about it! Hermione no longer had the nerve to tell her own parents. Her new plan of action was to just show up at their door over the summer holiday and say 'Look what I found!'

With NEWTS coming up just around the corner the professors had sent their workload into overdrive. The good news was that Hermione's hand was so cramped from the excessive note taking that it drew the attention away from her back pains and swollen ankles. The bad news was that by the end of the day her entire body hurt, and nothing was around to distract her from it.

The day before Valentine's Day was a Friday, and along with that, it was a grueling double DADA class, and Professor Figg was no longer messing around. With all the girls chatting excitedly about their plans for the big day, the Professor's temper was running thin.

"You do realize that this is your final year at Hogwarts, and the tests you will take in a few short months' time will determine what you will do for the rest of your lives!?" the Professor screeched, having finally lost her cool. The room instantly fell silent, though Lavender Brown was giving Professor Figg a very cold look, as if the teacher had no right to interrupt her conversation.

"Since most of you cannot seem to grasp the seriousness of these exams, I am going to put you all in a serious situation as a test of your skills. Tomorrow at midday-"

"But tomorrow is Valentine's Day!" Parvarti wailed in horror.

"Thank you for pointing that out Ms. Patil, but I am quite aware of what day of the year it is. As I was saying, tomorrow at midday you will all venture into the Forbidden Forest. I will split you into three groups, and you will each be given a map, directing you to a campsite far away from one another. As long as you set up the correct protective spells over your tents, I see no reason why you won't survive the night. Any questions?"

Everyone sat gaping at the professor. Even Hermione felt a twinge of fear run through her at the thought of spending an entire night in the Forbidden Forest.

"No questions? Well then-"

"Excuse me, Professor," Neville piped up shyly. "But isn't the Forbidden Forest… well… forbidden?"

The professor just smirked and raised a perfectly arched eyebrow at him. "I think we can make an exception. Now let's see. Mr. Longbottom, Mr. Potter, Ms. Granger, and Mr. Malfoy, you will be group number one."

Ron groaned loudly, and to Hermione's slight pang of annoyance and hurt, so did Malfoy.

"Mr. Weasley, Mr. Zabini, Lavender and Hannah, you will be group number two, and the rest of you are group three. I will hand out the maps tomorrow at breakfast. I won't be around to see you off, but I trust you to leave on schedule. I doubt any of you would want to get a late start and not make it to your campsite before sundown," Professor Figg finished with an evil glint in her eye.

The rest of the class was spent taking notes on possible defensive spells that might be needed in the forest. The only noise was the scratching of quills on crisp parchment. Not even Lavender dared make a sound for fear of taking a trip to the bottom of the Black Lake as the next 'test of their skills.'

"This is crap," Ron complained as they walked back towards Gryffindor tower after class. "She gave me the group of pouters."

At this both Harry and Hermione turned to stare at Ron. 'Pouters' was such a random adjective, and they were interested to hear Ron's explanation for this one... Hermione secretly hoped it had nothing to do with his masturbatory habits.

"No really… Lavender and Hannah are just going to be pouting the whole time because they aren't spending Valentine's Day snogging their latest conquests in Hogsmead. Blaise is going to be pouting because his boyfriend got put into _your_ group, and he might get dirt under his fingernails in the 'icky' forest. And then I'll be pouting, because she put me in the group full of bloody pouters!"

"Wow Ron, I suppose that almost makes sense," Hermione said a second later, still going over Ron's short speech in her mind with a quizzical look on her face. "At least you aren't grouped with Malfoy," she added, her expression changing from thoughtful to stony the instant the two syllables of Mal- foy had left her lips.

"True… it's not like you couldn't get out of it though."

"What do you mean? Of course I can't get out of it, Ron. Don't be silly," she said smoothly, brushing off the comment.

"Umm… Hermione," Ron started cautiously. "I don't know if you've noticed, but you're like seven months pregnant. You look like you could burst at any minute! If that's not a good enough excuse to get out of this assignment then-"

"Of course I've noticed I'm a WHALE! You don't have to go pointing it out to me every chance you get!" she sneered back at him. Pregnancy hormones were a bitch.

"Hermione I didn't mean-"

"YES YOU DID!" she shouted, tears springing up in her eyes. She brought her hands up to hide her face, while backing herself up to the wall and slowly sliding down it. She stayed like that for a few minutes, her legs sprawled out to accommodate for her belly, softly crying to herself.

Eventually she wiped her eyes and looked up to see Ron and Harry staring down at her with concern etched across every inch of their faces. She dropped her eyes in embarrassment. She hated feeling so helpless and out of control, and even more so, she hated showing this weakness to anyone.

"I'm sorry…" she choked out. Her friends each knelt down to sit on either side of her.

"Don't be sorry, 'Mione," Harry whispered to her. "You'll be fine. And Ron's right, you probably can get out of going with us into the forest tomorrow."

Hermione quickly shook her head. "No, I want to go. I want to finish this year off as normally as possible. I don't want special treatment… It's just been so… _hard_ lately! I'm getting bigger and bigger by the second, and these… _things_ are constantly playing football with my bladder and I just want them out of me! But then at the same time I- I don't…" she trailed off, new tears forming around the red rims of her eyes.

"Shh… it'll be ok," Ron said, patting her awkwardly on the shoulder.

"No it won't! Oh you guys I'm so scared!" she wailed. "I'm not used to being scared for _me_… I don't mind being scared for you two… I can handle that! But this… this is different… I feel so helpless! All this has happened out of my control and now I have to give birth and I don't think I can! I don't think I can do it!"

"Oh Hermione, like every woman has a baby at some point. If it was so horrible the species would have died out a long time ago! Hell, my mum's done it seven times!"

Hermione nodded slowly, but she wasn't entirely convinced.

"You're the strongest witch I know. And we'll be there with you when it... when it happens, so you can squeeze our hands until our fingers break, ok?" Harry asked gently.

"You promise?" Hermione questioned, the shadow of a smile breaking through her tearstained face.

"Yes… well as long as I don't have to watch them come out, then yes."

"I promise too, but I'm with Harry. I'm staying at your upper half," Ron added with a shudder.

Hermione finally broke down and smiled, playfully punching Ron in the arm. She was so lucky to have these two men by her side. She couldn't have asked for better people to be with her through all this.

"I love you guys, I really do," she said throatily, wiping away the last remnants of her tears.

"We love you too, 'Mione," Harry and Ron both whispered to her, placing their arms across her overlarge front and embracing her in a tight hug.

"Oh!" Ron shouted in surprise, nearly jumping a foot. "Something's moving in there!"

"Well of course there is, Ron. They do that all the time. It's so annoying, especially at night," she replied offhandedly.

Ron's mouth gaped, as his hand inched its way back to the spot on her belly he had felt the kick. He stared expectantly at the baby bump, jumping slightly when he felt the kick again.

"Wow…" he breathed out, completely in awe. Harry's hand joined Ron's, and together they just sat in patient silence, the corners of their mouths twitching at every movement of the little beings inside their best friend's stomach. For some reason this was starting to annoy Hermione. What was the big deal about a few little bumps in her belly anyway?

"We should get off the floor before Filch comes by," Hermione said suddenly, brushing Ron and Harry's hands away in her struggle to get to her feet. They two men stood up, watched Hermione's fruitless attempts to get to her feet for a moment before taking pity on her and extending their hands.

The next morning at breakfast, maps and packages of food were handed out to the Seventh year Advanced DADA class. The students took them with a fake smile followed with a low groan. The campsites were deep in the forest, and even if they were traveling during the day, who knew what kind of obstacles they would encounter. Hermione had taken more than enough trips into the forest to know that it wouldn't be a walk in the park.

And then of course there was the whole business of Malfoy being there… She couldn't decide if she was happy about it or upset. She hadn't spoken to him once since Christmas dinner. They still ran prefect meetings together, but he solely spoke to the group, barely even acknowledging her. His room was always locked, and she had a sneaking suspicion that he had started bathing in the prefects' bathroom, because she never heard him in theirs.

Now however, she was about to spend an entire day and a night with him, and he had no way of escaping her unless he wanted to be eaten alive. She might even get a chance to talk to him alone for once, maybe get to the bottom of his sudden change of heart, and find out why he sent her the bracelet… The bracelet that had yet to leave her wrist since the second she put it on.

Having eaten as much as their stomachs could handle when they felt on the verge of a day in Hell, they headed out of the Great Hall to pack up their things. Ron went back to Gryffindor tower while Harry went with Hermione to the Head dorms so he could carry her bag for her, having packed his own things the night before.

"I'm sure that three-point spell will come in handy, and I've bewitched our map to show our location on it so we'll know how far away we are," Hermione was saying, marking off her mental checklist.

"Like the Mauraders' Map?" Harry asked.

"Yes, that is where I got the idea. Do you think we should bring extra food? I mean just incase something happens… I do eat an awful lot lately and the care package the professor gave us was meant for four normal students," she said, eyeing her swollen belly with disdain.

"Well we've got time to stop by the kitchens, and I haven't visited Dobby in awhile. He'd probably be thrilled to see us."

"Yeah ok… remind me to grab some of my leftover hats before we go," Hermione replied, her eyes lighting up at the thought of freeing the poor little elves.

"Hermione I said we had some time to get food, I don't think elf liberation will fit into our schedule today."

"I'll just drop them off it won't take up any extra-"

"Pstt!"

Harry and Hermione both stopped on the spot, trying to figure out where the noise had come from. A second later their Potions Master had popped out from behind the door to the nearest classroom and was hurriedly ushering them inside. He clearly didn't want to be seen, and the way his hands were shaking as he closed the door suggested he was more than nervous.

"Are you alright, Professor Figg?" Harry asked. "You're sweating quite a lot."

"I'm fine, I'm fine," the professor said quickly, his eyes frantically darting between Harry and the door. "Listen," he said in a low whisper. "There's something you need to know. Today's-"

"Oh sorry I didn't realize I was interrupting something," the other Professor Figg said from the door. Hermione couldn't help but to realize how incredibly horrified her brother looked at the sight of her, though he swallowed and tried to put on a casual front.

"Oh not interrupting, dear sister. Harry and Hermione here just had a question about our latest potion and were wondering if they could use any ingredients from the forest while they were in there," he replied as smoothly as possible.

"Yes, well I hope you told them that they need to focus of making it to their campsites in one piece," Professor Anastasia Figg said to her brother.

"Of course, of course," he replied cheerily. "Did you need to speak with me?"

"Yes, no hurry though, you can finish with your conversation. I'll just wait outside. Good luck today Mr. Potter, Ms. Granger," their DADA professor said kindly as she left the room.

"What were you saying, Professor?" Hermione asked him. He didn't reply, just stared at her with bulging eyes. He was slowly opening and closing his mouth like a fish out of water.

"Professor?"

When his hands went up around his throat they realized that something was seriously wrong.

"Help! HELP!" Harry called to the door, rushing to his choking Potions teacher and shouting "Wadiwazi!" at him to dispel whatever was blocking his airway. Nothing happened. His sister rushed into the room with her wand drawn. With some quick spell casting the Potion's professor slumped to the ground, as if he were in a deep sleep. Hermione checked his pulse and breathed a deep sigh of relief.

"I'll keep him asleep until I get him up to the Hospital Wing," the DADA professor said solemnly. "The sleeping spell I used keeps the body safe so he can't get any worse until he is awoken."

"Will he be ok?" Hermione asked.

"He should be fine Ms. Granger, he probably just ate something he is allergic to at breakfast this morning. He never did take his allergies very seriously. If you'll excuse me I'll get him to the Hospital."

"I'll help," Harry quickly chimed in.

"That won't be necessary Mr. Potter, I'm a big girl. Besides, you two should be getting ready for your camping trip. Again, good luck, and don't worry about Alberson, this wouldn't be the first time he's eaten something he shouldn't," she said, sighing and shaking her head down at her unconscious brother. With a flick of her wand she had him floating in front of her and a second later they were out the door.

Harry and Hermione slowly turned to look at one another, wearing expressions of worry and confusion.

"What was that all about?"

"I don't know Harry. Oh I do hope he's alright!"

"Professor Figg didn't seem too perturbed. I wonder what he was going to say though, it seemed to be important."

Hermione shrugged. "Maybe he really did want us to find potion ingredients, and he knew his sister would get mad about it," she suggested.

"Yeah… but why would he tell her that if he didn't want her to know?"

That was a good question. Hermione was at a loss. "No idea… We should get a move on though, if we want to make it to the kitchens."

"Yeah… let's go."

Meanwhile, Draco was having his own problems, only his were loud, screechy, clingy and worst of all, awake.

"Draco I'm going and that's that. I don't want to spend Valentine's Day without you. Maybe it'll be romantic… Alone in a forest with nothing but a tent and my boyfriend for protection…" Pansy trailed off dreamily.

"Don't forget Potter, Longbottom and Granger," Draco gritted out. "And if you really think any of us will protect you from the werewolves, giant spiders, and whatever the hell else is out there, you are seriously in denial."

"Oh shush, baby. The professor wouldn't make you do this if it was actually dangerous!"

"Whatever you say. It doesn't change the fact that you aren't in our class and therefore can't go," he said in a low, monotone voice, fed up with the conversation. Pansy could not go, it would ruin everything. He had almost been excited about the trip to the forest. It would be the first time he would get a chance to show Hermione that he did care, even if he had to share her with Potty and Longbottom, it was still better than nothing. Maybe he couldn't say anything nice to her, but he could still blast some branches out of her way or something, as long as her two Gryffindor goons weren't looking, anyway.

If anything he needed this trip as a vacation from Pansy, his sanity depended on it. It was hard enough watching the girl who had stolen his heart and was hopefully carrying his children scowl at him from across the room. The only thing he could do was avoid her at all costs. It was the only way to make sure she couldn't interrogate him about everything that had happened between them.

What he hated the most was that she didn't even try besides at Christmas, and even then he figured she was just doing it to make a good impression on the professors. It was like she didn't even care anymore. She seemed to be doing ok. Her friends hadn't abandoned her when they found out she was pregnant. He had at least expected the Weasel to behave in his usual irrational behavior, but even he was acting human for once.

Those were his kids, damn it (he hoped)! Not Weasel or Potter's. He should be the one taking care of her, not her friends. He should be the one taking care of the babies when they were born in just two short months, but he knew it would be Harry and Ron in his place.

Dejectedly, he slung his bag over his shoulder and headed down to the forest with Pansy on his heels.

"Wait baby you're walking so fast!" she screeched. Draco said nothing. Maybe if he ignored her she'd mysteriously disappear.

...

11:58 and Harry, Neville and Hermione were waiting on the edge of the forest.

"If he's not here in two minutes we're leaving without him," Harry said, just as a high-pitched screech rang across the grounds.

"Draco wait!"

They all turned to see Malfoy practically sprinting across the grass with Pansy Parkinson following close behind. Hermione's chest constricted. So much for talking to Draco. He couldn't even spend one day without Pansy! This trip was going to be worse than she had thought.

Draco arrived next to them panting hard, and Pansy caught up a second later. Harry looked as if he wanted to say something about Pansy going, but seemed to think better of it.

"Don't just stare at me Potter, get a move on," Draco sneered in his usual drawl.

"Well Malfoy, we'd already have left if it weren't for you and your _excess baggage_."

"Let's just go," Neville interrupted before things got heated. He took a brave step through the edge of the trees and the rest slowly followed.

The woods were eerily quiet, and the first few hours were spent with them walking in silence with their wands at the ready. Every now and then Hermione thought she heard something moving off in the distance, but she had to remind herself that it was a forest, so there were going to be animals, and not all of them had to be bad. In all honesty she was more concerned with the way Pansy's hand was clutching Draco's arm, and though his face was stony, he wasn't brushing her off.

They made a short stop to eat, checked the map to thankfully see that they were right on track, and continued on their journey. Hermione peed in the woods for the hundredth time, but besides that the trip was surprisingly uneventful.

As the sun started to set their pace increased. Hermione's ears strained to hear every sound, just incase they were on the verge of an attack, but none came. It was all very strange. Hermione felt like they were too far into the forest not to have encountered anything, but she kept her worry to herself.

Just as dusk had sent dark shadows through the trees and they had to use their wands to light the way, they made it to the campsite. It was in a small clearing and consisted of a fire pit and a single tent. Each of them instantly started putting up the protective spells while Pansy took a seat on a stump and powdered her face.

_No amount of powder can hide the pug nose_… Hermione snickered to herself.

Once the spells were in place and Hermione was satisfied that not even an ant could enter their campsite, she decided it was safe to grab her water bottle and take a break.

"Let's check out the finest tents Hogwarts has to offer," Harry said with sarcastic excitement. The group followed behind to inspect their living quarters for the night.

The only problem was that there was already someone inside. Someone with matted, pitch-black hair, bulging eyes that were dancing with maniacal excitement, and a wand that was pointed right at them…

...

...

Eek please don't hate me for the evil cliffie! I had to end it somewhere and this just felt like the perfect place. Thank you all as always for reading and reviewing, keep it up and I'll do my best to update ASAP!! Love you guys!!


	26. Chapter 26

A/N- Thank you all who are still reading for being patient with me! Also, last chapter I had Ron say that Hermione was like 7 months along, which isn't true I just couldn't count when I wrote that. No, if she was impregnated halfway through August, that would make her 6 months along on Valentines day… Instead of changing it though I'm just going to pretend it was Ron's mistake, not mine… Silly Ronald.

nananananabatman- Yes I do have a lot of loose ends to tie up, but no I am not out of ideas and yes I do plan on finishing this story. Actually if I have done my job right everything should start coming together in the next few chapters. These end chapters are the only ones that have actually been planned for awhile now, and I am SO excited to finally get to writing them. Thanks for reviewing :)

Yuki Asao- Professor Figg (and Figg) are actually Mrs. Figg's twin son and daughter.

Anywhoo, on with the story!

_**But you're so contagious**_

_**Tell me, what am I to do?**_

_**When a fire and fever rages**_

_**And I have caught it to.**_

_**So who's to blame**_

_**For who gets burned**_

_**For holding you?**_

_**-Dashboard Confessional**_

Bellatrix Lestrange's filthy fingers, with their long, yellowed nails just scraping the walnut surface of the wooden wand handle, gripped ever tighter as she sent a jet of red light at the Boy Who Lived. It struck him squarely in the chest, sending him flying some twenty feet away, where he hit a tree, and then slid sickeningly slow towards the leaf-strewn ground where he lay unmoving.

The three women inhabiting the temporary campsite shrieked in unison: Pansy's high-pitched shrill voice overpowered the others as she took off into the forest in fright, the sound dying off almost the instant she was swallowed by the darkness. Hermione didn't notice; she was too busy fussing over Harry's unconscious form. When she felt a pulse she breathed a deep sigh of relief, her hearing seemingly returning to her and the mad, cackling laugh of Lord Voldemort's 'most faithful' servant instantly filling her ears.

"Aww, what's my wittle neffy-poo going to do? Curse his big bad Auntie Bella?" Hermione heard Bellatrix coo in a singsong baby voice. Draco did not respond. Hermione chanced a glance at the scene in front of her. Draco and Neville both stood stock still, their wands at the ready, while Bellatrix stood in front of their open tent, dirty and covered in bits of the forest, but looking haughty and intimidating nonetheless.

Neville raised his wand a little higher and shouted "Stupefy!" but his curse was easily deflected by Bellatrix, whose eyes never even wavered from her nephew, though she did break out in a fit of hair-raising laughter at Neville's attempt.

Hermione made use of the noise by shooting whispered spell after spell at Harry. She felt hopeless without him. Though Draco and Neville seemed to be doing a good job of amusing the Death Eater invading their camp, she knew that it would be Harry who saved them. It was always Harry.

"Draco, I think wittle Wongbottom here would like to pway with me," sneered Bellatrix. Still Draco said nothing. His aunt smirked and continued, now turning her full attention towards poor Neville, who, though shaking slightly, raised his wand with a determined sort of look on his face.

"Do you want to play? Think they'll make room for you to sleep with your dear old mum and dad in Saint Mungo's? Or maybe the place will finally realize they're wasting money housing a bunch of loonies and dispose of the lot of you?"

Neville's face was bright red. Without warning he sent a second stunning spell at Bellatrix, so strong that it broke through her shield charm and she had to leap out of the way to avoid it.

"_Reenervate! Rejuviendo! Lumivia!_" Hermione whispered frantically. Not hearing the curse Bellatrix sent at Harry, it was impossible to know the exact counter-curse. "_Proximia! Stimulatus!_ Oh, Harry!" she breathed out at last, seeing Harry's eyes flutter open and his hand come up to rub his chest where the curse had hit him. Hermione put her finger to her lips to ensure that he didn't draw attention to the fact that he was no longer dead to the world, and then pointed at Bellatrix, who wasn't directly facing them, but would only have to turn her head slightly to have them within sight.

Harry stayed low to the ground and silently withdrew his wand, ready to strike at any second, though cautious. He could tell that Bellatrix was enjoying toying with Neville, and was not worried in the slightest that she could be taken down. Harry and Hermione both knew that if they joined in the fight, Bellatrix would feel some fear at being so outnumbered, and may start killing off the weakest link, just to put the odds back in her favor. It was this fear that kept them uncharacteristically on the sidelines, waiting with bated breath and drawn wands, until the moment they would be needed to protect Neville.

"Why Draco, Kitty-cat got your tongue?" Bellatrix purred, though she again failed in her attempt to rile the Malfoy heir. Draco's face was stony and expressionless, though he had gone paler than usual and his knuckles were white from gripping his wand so hard. He didn't know what to do. Whose side was he supposed to be on? Though he was itching to curse the wicked glare off his dear auntie's face, he didn't know if he was willing to pay the price for it later on. How long would it take for word get back to his father and to the Dark Lord that he had cursed a fellow Death Eater? That he had somehow hindered the plan of his evil master, even though he had been unaware of the plan in the first place?

But what if Bellatrix went for Hermione? Draco knew he couldn't just sit and watch if Hermione was in danger… But surely Bellatrix would know about the pregnancy and would not want to harm the Dark Lord's supposed heir (or heirs; did they know about the twins?). Was that why she was here waiting for them? To capture Hermione and bring her to the Death Eater headquarters so she could give birth? Hermione was quite far along now at six months, and with twins the odds were that she would have them early. Perhaps they wanted to capture her now to make sure they did not miss the birth. It made perfect sense.

Draco felt a knot in his chest tighten painfully, but somehow had found his voice at last.

"What are you doing here?" he commanded imperiously, in a voice that came out much stronger than he felt.

"I thought it was obvious. I missed my wittle neffy," Bellatrix sneered sarcastically, laughing at her own joke. She didn't seem in any hurry to start battling. Indeed she could have had Longbottom knocked out or worse a hundred times over by now. Possibly even captured Hermione, of whom she was ignoring. Speaking of Hermione, Draco snuck a peek in the direction he had seen her run after Harry in. He let out a gasp of surprise at seeing Hermione and the newly awakened Potter crouched down with their wands pointed directly at Bellatrix, who unfortunately, had now noticed where Draco's new attentions were.

"Ah, if it isn't Potty… Decided to wake up and join in the fun I see," she said, almost casually as she turned towards them. Harry stepped directly in front of Hermione before he retorted.

"Yeah, I didn't want to miss this," he smirked a second before Neville aimed another stunning spell at Bellatrix, to which she easily blocked with a flick of her wand. Before Harry had a chance to counter, she had brandished her wand at Neville, hitting him with white-hot fire that seemed to be attached to the end of her wand by a string. Neville yelped in pain and then fell silent, falling to the ground in a heap. Hermione moved to stand next to Harry, her wand up and pointed directly at Bellatrix's heart, though she was looking at the spot where Neville had fallen with worry on her face.

"Crucio!" Harry shouted. Bellatrix shrieked in either pain or surprise, but was otherwise unaffected.

"Still don't mean it, do you Potty? Pathetic," she bit out, clearly done playing her little games. Her smirk had disappeared and her heavily lidded eyes were narrowed in concentration. "Not to worry, I'll show you how it's done- _Cruc_-"

"_Expelliarmus!_"

In an instant, Bellatrix's unsuspecting wand had flown out of her hand and into the air. It landed at Draco's feet, whose own wand was still pointing at the aunt he had just disarmed. He was horrified by what he had done, though his reaction was instinctive to seeing Bellatrix aim a curse so close to where Hermione stood. What if Hermione had done the Gryffindor thing and jumped in front of her friend? He couldn't take that chance. He just hoped his father would see it his way. He could say he was simply doing his duty and protecting the Dark Lord's heir… and if they didn't believe him… well, he would think about that later…

Bellatrix had swirled on the spot to face her pale nephew, hate etched across every inch of her face. Draco recognized it as the same look she used when she had found out he failed his mission to kill Dumbledore, and that Snape, who she seemed to dislike, had to do it in his stead.

"Give me my wand wittle neffy," she said in forced calm, looking murderous as she started towards him. In an instant Draco made up his mind. He was already in for it, he might as well do the thing right.

"Potter! Now would be the time for you to do your saving people thing!" he sneered at Harry, who had stopped his attack to watch Draco and Bellatrix's exchange.

"Oh, right-_ Stupefy!_" he yelled. Wandless and therefore defenseless to ward him off, Bellatrix fell to the ground. "iIncarcerous!/i" Harry said as an added precaution before he stepped too close. Rope sprung from his wand and binded the unconscious Death Eater, so that even if she was to somehow awaken, the most she could do was stick her tongue out at them.

A few minutes passed after Harry's final spell, in which no one spoke or moved. Harry's eyes and wand remained pointed at Bellatrix. Hermione was looking at Draco as if she had never seen him before, while Draco stared at the spot of ground in front of his feet, where his aunt's wand still lay. Only when they heard a low groan from Neville did the group shake out of their stupor.

"Neville!" Hermione wailed, rushing to his side as fast as her belly would allow. She pressed her hand to his sweaty brow as he let out another soft moan. "Oh Harry, he's burning up!"

"Aguamenti!" Harry shouted. A stream of cool water flew from his wand and onto Neville's face, possibly more forceful than intended. Hermione was about to scold him until Neville started coughing and sputtering, trying to get to his feet.

"Don't… Neville, you're not well!" Hermione yelped, putting her hands on his chest to keep him on the ground. However, Neville seemed quite determined, and though he was swaying slightly, he got to his feet, his wand drawn once again, and stalked towards Bellatrix's incarcerated form. He stood over her, fists balled and mouth in a tight-lipped line. After a few moments he started shaking, and Hermione could see that tears had leaked out of his eyes.

"Neville…" Harry whispered, getting up to stand at his side. "If you think we should… you know… off her… I'll stand by you. She deserves it."

"No," Neville responded instantly. "She doesn't, not after what she's done."

Harry looked confused for a moment before Neville continued.

"Death would be too easy. She should get the Dementor's kiss… She should have to live like a soulless empty shell for the rest of her life!" He was yelling now, and openly crying. Harry was at a loss for what to do, so he just patted his friend awkwardly on the shoulder. Hermione struggled to her feet and joined them.

"What should we do?" she asked once Neville's sobs had subsided. "I mean, should we try to get back to the castle tonight or do you think it's too dangerous? What if there are more Death Eaters out here? Our protective spells should prevent them from getting in, they just didn't work on her because she was already in here. How do you think she found us, anyway?"

Harry shrugged his shoulders, but pointed to her dirty face and hair that was full of twigs and leaf bits. "I don't know but it looks like she's been living here for a little while. Maybe this was an accident. Maybe she's just been hiding out here and when she heard us approaching she drew her wand. What do you think, Malfoy?"

Hermione and Draco both gasped in surprise that Harry had addressed him so casually, and without a trace of loathing to his words. In fact, it was almost like Harry was asking an equal for his opinion. Draco took a second to think before he answered.

"Could be either," he replied, making sure to keep the sneer from his words. "Though highly improbable that she just happened to stumble upon a tent in the middle of the forest that you two just happened to be staying in," he added, silently congratulating himself for only throwing in a hint of sarcasm.

"In any case, I think we should stay the night here, and take turns guarding Bellatrix. We won't get back to the castle until dawn if we left now and Hermione, you need to rest," Harry said. Hermione nodded, slightly relieved. She didn't think he legs would carry her rotund belly all the way back to the castle. She headed towards their open tent, but all three men yelled "Stop!" before she could step inside.

"What?" she asked.

"I'll check it out first, incase there are more of them hiding inside," Harry responded. Slightly annoyed that her friend was treating her like a little girl who needed saving by the big strong men, she crossed her arms, but nevertheless, let Harry enter before her.

"It's all clear," he said after a few moments.

"Oh goodie," Hermione mumbled sarcastically, though she was unsure Harry heard her, as he was already back standing guard over their captured Death Eater.

"Eat and get some sleep, Neville and I can keep a lookout," Harry told her kindly. Under normal circumstances, Hermione would have argued, but as it was, she went inside without a fight. Draco, not wanting to be alone with two enemy Gryffindors, followed her.

"Malfoy," Harry spoke, just as Draco was about to go inside. He turned his head to face him but said nothing. If Potter was about to warn him against messing with Hermione after he had just saved their lives, Harry had another thing coming to him.

"Thank you," Harry said gruffly. Surprised, and feeling oddly pleased, Draco nodded curtly before ducking inside the tent. To Draco's disappointment, the inside of the tent hardly seemed any larger than the outside. It was definitely not up to the disproportionate standards he would normally associate with wizard tents by any means. There was only one room, with two sets of bunk beds standing opposite each other along the side walls. Between them stood a single table with four chairs, upon one of which Hermione sat, making sandwiches. He could tell that she was purposefully trying to keep busy so she wouldn't have to look at him.

He took a seat in one of the empty chairs and started to spread jelly on the pieces of bread she was not spreading peanut butter on. There were so many things he wanted to tell her now that he finally had her alone, though he knew he couldn't say any of them unless he wanted to spend the rest of his life as Pansy's man candy. Unless of course, one of the forest creatures had taken care of that by now, though his binding ring was still firmly in place, meaning that she had yet to be fully digested. Hermione seemed to be thinking along the same lines.

"I wonder if Pansy made it out ok," she said, pleased beyond belief to hear Draco's snort of indifference on the subject. "That was really foolish of her, to just go running off into the woods like that. Who knows what could be out there waiting to attack!"

"If only I could be so lucky," Draco growled out, putting a little more force than was necessary into his jelly spreading and tearing a hole in the bread. "Here, this one will be Longbottoms," he said, smirking as he put the ruined bread on top of one of the peanut butter covered ones. Hermione looked at him incredulously before snorting in laughter. Draco couldn't help but to join in.

"You're still wearing the bracelet," Draco said softly, noticing one of the charms peeking out from under her sleeve. This was neither a nice thing to say or a mean thing, it was simply an observation, and would therefore, not trigger the ring.

"I-" Hermione started, the blood rising to her cheeks. "It's- I mean I didn't want to lose it so I umm… didn't want to take it off… you know…" She fell silent, purposefully not looking at him. It was her turn to mutilate the bread.

"Hermione I-" He caught himself before he said something he would regret for the rest of his Pansy-filled life. He wished she could just understand how he felt, though she seemed to be completely unaware. Well, if he couldn't tell her… maybe he could show her…

His knife fell from his hand and onto the table with a soft clang. She looked at it for a second then glanced back up at him. Their eyes met- watery chocolate brown and clear grey- and he swooped down on her, catching her lips with his. He pressed into her with longing and passion, and she returned his advance, while the sandwiches lay forgotten.

Finally, the painful knot in his chest seemed to loosen, to be replaced with a warm swelling. The warmth increased as he drank in more of her sweet lips, suckling the bottom until they parted on a gasp. His tongue darted out to gain entrance into her waiting mouth, entangling with hers. She seemed equally frantic in her necessity to taste as much of him as possible, placing frenzied kisses all along his lower jaw until their lips met once more. His tongue plunged into her with such force that she actually felt her knees go weak and a swooping sensation in her stomach.

On and on they went, tasting on touching… devouring and inhaling. Draco never wanted to let go. He needed her so bad it hurt. He had fallen madly and deeply in love with the once witch he couldn't have. Only, he ineeded/i her. He knew that now. He needed her bushy hair, and her adorable scowl, and her caring eyes, and her soft, wet, salty-sweet lips…

He froze and opened his eyes. Her lips hadn't been salty when they had started, though they most certainly were now, and the cause was staring right back at him. Hermione was crying. Though she had been kissing him with just as much passion as he had shown her, she was crying. Instinctively he raised his thumb to her damp cheek and brushed a tear away.

"This isn't real, is it? We can't really… do this?" she asked him softly. He could hardly look at her as he swallowed down his overwhelming feelings of sorrow and shook his head no.

"Oh…" was all she said. Then, wiping her eyes on her sleeve she stood. "I should get these to Harry and Neville, they must be hungry."

Draco watched her leave feeling numb from head to foot. He got up mechanically and went to a bed. When she came back inside he feigned sleep, though he stayed awake most of the night, listening to her soft sniffles on the bed across from him.

Hermione awoke as soon as the sun rose the next morning, not feeling rested in the least. Draco was still asleep, so she quietly tiptoed outside to check on Neville and Harry. Though Neville's eyes were bloodshot, he looked determined as ever as he sat next to Bellatrix's body, his wand held steadily in front of him. Harry however, was snoring softly against a nearby tree.

"Good morning," she said loudly, trying not to laugh at Harry, who practically jumped a foot into the air.

"Morning, Hermione. Did you sleep alright?" Neville asked her, though his eyes never left Bellatrix's closed ones.

"Yeah," she lied. "We should get going, the sooner we get back to the school, the better."

Both Harry and Neville heartily agreed. Neville stood guard while Harry collected their belongings, and Hermione went to wake Draco and grab her things.

It took them a little longer to get out of the forest than it had getting in. Not only did they now have to levitate Bellatrix, but every slight movement or sound made them freeze and peer around for minutes at a time. Also, when they were about halfway through their journey, Harry was struck with a sudden idea. He kept pointing his wand at random and saying "_Accio Pansy_!" into the trees.

The first time he had done this, everyone stopped at stared at him, but he only shrugged his shoulders and said, "What? I'm sure she's learned her lesson by now." Though his _Accio's_ were seriously lacking in enthusiasm.

What felt like days later, the trees began to thin, and actual patches of bright blue sky were visible between the bare branches. They were still short one camper, but since Pansy wasn't in their class and therefore not even supposed to be there, Hermione was sure their grades would not suffer because of it. It was only when they reached the edge of the school grounds that they heard the familiar screech.

"Drakey! Oh Draco I was so worried! I ran into Blaise's group this morning and told them what happened and we tried to get out as quick as we could to get help… But then I kept flying away- oh Draco it was so scary! I don't think I'd be here if it wasn't for the Weasel grabbing hold of me. I think I would've just flown away into nothingness!"

Draco tried hard not to laugh. So _that_ was why Potter's summoning charms hadn't worked…

Meanwhile, Ron and about half the staff members had rushed to the aid of Hermione and her group. Only after the teachers had taken Bellatrix away to be locked in a heavily guarded room in the dungeons, and thoroughly questioned them over and over, were they finally allowed to eat a decent meal and rest in their respective common rooms.

Draco was feeling more depressed than ever as he headed for the dungeons with Blaise on his heels and the wench he was binded to at his side. Pansy hadn't even managed to get herself eaten… Would he ever catch a break?

Later that day, six ministry officials flanked by two dementors entered the castle, and left shortly after with Bellatrix Lestrange in tow. The next day the front page of _The Daily Prophet_ was plastered with pictures of the notorious Death Eater that had eluded capture for so long. The story told of how Harry Potter had taken her down, helped by two of his friends, and also by Lucius Malfoy's son. Bellatrix was to be held in Azkaban until her hearing, one month later, when she would be given her final sentencing.

One month, and one day later, Harry, Draco, Hermione and Neville all received identical scrolls from the ministry at breakfast.

To Miss Hermione Granger,

_As a special thank you for your help in_

_detaining the known Death Eater, Bellatrix_

_Lestrange, we would like to invite you to_

_an award ceremony in your honor. As I_

_am sure you have heard, Lestrange was_

_sentenced to receive the Dementor's Kiss_

_in one month's time. We at the ministry_

_would like you to bear witness to this event,_

_scheduled for sundown on the eve of April_

_the 16th at Azkaban prison. Special arrangements_

_will of course be made to ensure the safety of_

_all who attend. Please R.S.V.P. no later than_

_April 10th. Best of luck to you, and thank you_

_once again for aiding the ministry in the fight_

_for justice._

_-Cornelius Fudge_

_Deputy Minister of Magic. _

"Pshh," Hermione huffed out in fury. "They're acting like it's some great party. 'Please R.S.V.P.' Are the kidding? Why would we ever want to go to that?"

When Harry didn't respond with equal insults towards the ministry, Hermione looked up at him. His eyes were on Neville, whose mouth was stuck in a silent and disappointed 'oh' at what Hermione had said.

"Sorry, Neville. Listen, if you want to go to this- to this _ceremony_ Harry and I will go with you. I understand completely why you would want to be there. We wouldn't make you see that alone. We are your friends, after all." Hermione said kindly.

"It's just that… Well I feel like it's… you know… my _duty_ to be there…" he responded softly. Hermione and Harry both nodded their understanding. Harry especially could see why Neville would need to be there. After all, he himself fully intended to be around for Voldemort's demise.

"Don't worry, Neville. We'll go with you."

...

...

"Once the spells were in place and Hermione was satisfied that not even**_ an ant_** could enter their campsite."

-Muahaha, I made a funny…

Now on to more serious matters… PLEASE review! And thank you for reading!!

-Liz


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